[wp-hackers] echo and return

[David House]

Can we bring this discussion back on track? URI-style or traditional-style
parameters, I don't mind, but we need to decide how we're going to manage
echoing and returning. Personally, I'm a fan of getting rid of all the
get_the_* functions, just having the_* functions and passing everything
URI-style (yes, I realise this is rather different to my previous view, but
I've changed my mind).

So all the logic goes into the the_* functions, and every function needs to
respect an 'echo' parameter. Eg, calling the_date('echo=0'); would return the
date of $post, formatted as of get_settings('date_format');.

Quoting Brian Meidell Andersen <brian at mindflow.dk>:
> 
> *Foundation shaking*
> 
> Well, I stand corrected then. You have more experience in the support area.
> 
> I can see how it might have it's use, if you want to make single 
> function call plugins that can have all kinds of things configured.
> I can also see how it helps migration.
> 
> Personally, I wouldn't like to see everything turn into url parameters 
> though.
> Calls that the user is exposed to should be consistent, and if we had to 
> make even simple functions into url parameters, I think it get's real ugly.
> 
> But I'll bend to the will of the crowd. I think it's important to agree 
> to work according to a common style - naming and calling conventions 
> especially - and follow it.
> 
> So what does the crowd think?
> 
> /Brian
> 
> Kitty wrote:
> 
> >On Mon, 2004-07-26 at 14:53 +0200, Brian Meidell wrote:
> >  
> >
> >>About the url encoded parameter lists, though:
> >>Since user friendliness seems to be an issue (an approach I agree with), 
> >>I can't understand why we would go with url encoded argument strings.
> >>
> >>I can't think of anything much more user hostile than asking the user 
> >>not only learn the parameters for the method, but also the name of the 
> >>parameters, and then try to get the encoding right.
> >>
> >>I will would be shaken at my foundation if users weren't more confused 
> >>by url encoded parameter lists than either $echo parameters or double 
> >>functions.
> >>    
> >>
> >
> >Prepare to have your foundation shaken. 
> >
> >One of my plugins, "Show Categories" is pretty widely used. If someone
> >wants a mini-blog in a side bar, they either use this, or Matt's asides.
> >Somewhere around the second release, I was was in param list hell. So I
> >went to the 'url' style param list. 
> >
> >I've not had *one* support request/feedback asking how to use it! And
> >with the nature of the plugin you *have to* pass params. 
> >
> >Some of the functions that most widely modified in #menu also take 'url'
> >params, and tend not to be a problem for users. It's a fairly intuitive
> >way of passing params, believe it or not. The users can see exactly what
> >they're setting, and don't have to worry about the positional aspect.
> >
> >So don't underestimate the users. Don't develop for "grandma," as a lot
> >of people in the open source world are. I try an stick with this
> >assumption:
> >"Anyone interested in customising their blog will be able to digest the
> >the few technical bits that are needed to make things work. So document
> >accordingly."
> >  
> >
> >------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
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> >  
> >
> 
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