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developmentMarch 7, 2019 · 8 min read

Laracon Online 2019 Notes and Thoughts

Notes and takeaways from Laracon Online 2019 — covering event sourcing in Laravel, writing less complex code, Livewire, and other highlights from the…

Dan Holloran
Dan Holloran
Senior Fullstack Developer
Laracon Online 2019 Notes and Thoughts

These are my notes from Laracon 2019 was an interesting conference and a lot of fun. I think you may still be able to buy tickets to access the recordings at https://laracon.net/. It is nice being online not having to travel makes it easier to go.

Getting started with event sourcing in Laravel ​

Writing less complex, more readable code ​

  • Jason McCreary @gonedark
  • Code quality level how many WTFs per minute
  • Martin Fowler - Refactoring

Guidelines for good code ​

  • Formatting

    • Consitency matters
    • Choose it, automate it and forget it
    • Use community standard if possible
    • https://styleci.io/

  • Dead code

    • Why is it here and why is it not used
    • Commented code just remove it
    • Unused variables
    • Boy Scouting - Leave it better than you found it
    • Unreachable code may be harder to see in larger blocks
    • Unnecessary syntax. Such as a switch with just returns break is not needed and never for default
    • Flagged code some sort of state such as promotion or coupon code
    • If you encounter it remove it
    • Make sure primary action is at top level. Helpful to early return aka guard clause

  • Nested Code

    • Avoid else where possible
    • Avoid nested code

  • Using objects

    • Pass objects of grouped date (data clump) if possible over simple types (int,string,etc.)
      • Use value objects basically a class with private props and getters no setters allows it to be immutable
    • Allows for adding methods to abstract complex logic
    • Options array are abused in PHP and do not have a specific structure makes it untidy hard to know all options
    • Use enums to reduce options to allowed values.

  • Big blocks

    • Leverage framework when possible
      • Validation → form request
      • Model look up → implicit model binding
    • For top level methods such as a controller try to make as simple as possible

  • Naming

    • Two hardest things in programming naming, cache invalidation and off by 1 errors
    • don't be a special snowflake use language conventions
    • Foreach use plural and singular make it specific to context
    • No need to over abbreviate
    • Try to relay human aspects $str_error → $error_message
    • Start with technical name and allow time to come up with something better
    • Use a thesaurus

  • Removing comments

    • Misleading comments are confusing
    • Comments can be skipped over
    • Attempt to improve the code over comments
    • Doc Blocks ≠ Comments they server documentation purposes
    • Look for inline comments that explain exactly what the code is doing such as // date for yesterday
    • Proximity rule take variables closer to where they are being used makes it easier to tie it together
    • If comment is relaying why this are still important

  • Reasonable returns

    • Return something other than null
    • Possibly return a mock or null object that behaves like the real object
      • User → GuestUser

  • Rule of three

    • Wait until ~3 duplications before abstracting to avoid over engineering
    • Helps you find the correct solution
    • Make sure names align.

  • Symetry

    • Naming and thinks like keeping methods with methods
    • Keep object access level consistent
    • Keep not checks the same

Realtime applications with Laravel ​

What's New in React ​

  • Wes Bos @wesbos ‏
  • Slides: https://wesbos.github.io/Whats-New-In-React/#1
  • Context API
    • React context allows you to pas data down multiple levels the need to pass through props at each level
    • Prop drilling passing props down through multiple components
    • Allows for injecting a consumer into a component one solution for global shared data
    • It relies on a parent provider component
    • Good for medium sized applications
  • Fragements
    • Fixes extra <div>s since you can not have more than one html element in a component.
    • Fixes descendent selectors since you do not need a wrapping <div>
    • Does Vue have a solution for this?
  • Error boundaries
    • Handles not being able to try/catch in JSX
  • Refs
    • Escape hatch for getting DOM elements. Seems to be like Vue.js this.$refs
    • Helpful for wrapping older plugins/code
  • Portals
    • Useful for modals and what not
    • Somewhat like a built in version of Portal Vue
    • Can be used to handle tags out side of the React root element
  • Suspense (Coming Soon)
    • Waiting for things to load before rendering
    • Helps with code splitting, data fetching and images
    • Decouples loading ui from components
    • Minimizes loaders on faster connections
  • Hooks
    • New way to write state and other things without classes

Exploring Laravel 5.8 ​

  • Taylor Otwell @taylorotwell
  • hasOneThrough relationship
    • Basically handles accessing has one relationship has one relationship $supplier→account→history to $supplier→accountHistory
  • Auto discovering of model policies
  • Supports hashing API tokens with sha256 for simple API authentication without using Laravel Passport. Basically for Bearer Token API instead of oAuth.
  • Pivot models dispatch model events
    • Not new but custom pivot models are pretty cool
  • Default scheduler timezone
  • Artisan in code simplification can pass like you would on the command line
  • Testing mock helpers cleans up mocking then replacing in the container
  • orWhere() higher order function helps remove callbacks on orWhere scopes.
  • Atomic lock process running longer than requested fixed
  • Artisan serve adds port scanning to allow for multiple instances
  • Improvements to Redis blocking pop allows pinging of Redis block time. Still allows queues to be processed quickly

Laravel, the Blockchain, and You! ​

  • Samantha Geitz @SamanthaGeitz

  • Slides: https://speakerdeck.com/samanthamichele7/laravel-the-blockchain-and-you

  • Should i use blockchain probably not unless you are solving a specific problem

  • Blockchain is decentralized multiple servers with entire copy of database

  • Add new blocks that shows how the data should change

  • Somewhat like Git more in the way the changes are tracked

    • It is slow and comparatively expensive then a MySQL database
    • If you cant do it on a smartphone from 1999 probably shouldn't do it
    • Helps solve currency forging and other issues
    • You can buy or "mine" them
    • Needs a private key and public to access much like SSH Keys
    • Mining incentivizes integrity of the network
    • Ethereum is meant to build decentralized apps and built in JavaScript
      • Used to solve Xbox game publisher royalties
        • Went from ~45 days to almost immediately
        • Reduced publishers cost 99% and cut Microsofts in half
      • Webjet a travel company
        • Problem is double booking/disputes about 5% annually
    • Possible good use cases
      • Voting app
      • DRM management of video/games
      • Verifying identity of participants is important financial, legal, doctor
    • Bad use cases
      • Most things
      • Data is in constant flux
      • If you want ability to add/edit records
      • Speed/performance important
    • Tools

Databases in space ​

Practical Solutions to Common UI Design Problems ​

Tailwind CSS by Example ​

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