[wp-hackers] echo and return

[Mark Jaquith]

I'm not opposed to URI-style functions.  It is certainly no harder to 
remember the name of a parameter than it is to remember the order of 
unnamed parameters.

I think the important thing is that we decide on *something* and 
implement it across the board. 

While I realize that this decision will be made keeping inexperienced WP 
users in mind, I beg that WP not be limited in potential just to save WP 
newcomers the trouble of taking 10 minutes to get a grasp on basic PHP. 

David House wrote:

>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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>>>hackers mailing list
>>>hackers at wordpress.org
>>>http://wordpress.org/mailman/listinfo/hackers_wordpress.org
>>> 
>>>
>>>      
>>>
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>>
>>    
>>
>
>
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