Title: Really hard to read plugin code
Last modified: September 3, 2016

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# Really hard to read plugin code

 *  [pkostadinov](https://wordpress.org/support/users/pkostadinov/)
 * (@pkostadinov)
 * [10 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/really-hard-to-read-plugin-code/)
 * As a developer, I need to read the plugin code, so I can do custom integration.
   With that said, when I started reading the source I was really terrified by the
   way it is written.
 * Here is what I did not like (pretty much everything):
    – A big mess of html-php
   mixup, – no clear logic and structure with the templates, – a thousands of classes,–
   full of static methods, – showing bad understanding of design patterns, – thousands
   of commented code and debug code, – random indentations, random vertical spacing,–
   not well documented with no clear explanations on how the templates are overridden,
   I had to dig into the source code to find a big comment with examples
 * Really disappointing for something that costs 280 usd for 1 site… And yes – what
   I said is meant for both free and premium versions. I can’t imagine how so many
   developers keep track on such a mess…

Viewing 5 replies - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)

 *  [Darren Ethier (nerrad)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/nerrad/)
 * (@nerrad)
 * [10 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/really-hard-to-read-plugin-code/#post-8088253)
 * I’m puzzled why as a developer you would not just get the full version from [https://github.com/eventespresso/event-espresso-core](https://github.com/eventespresso/event-espresso-core)?
 * The $280 you quoted is the annual fee for the _everything_ support license which
   give you access to all the add-ons for EE4 and support.
 * Also, you may have missed:
 * – developer.eventespresso.com
    and the docs that are found at [https://github.com/eventespresso/event-espresso-core/tree/master/docs](https://github.com/eventespresso/event-espresso-core/tree/master/docs)(
   which are removed from the released version)
 * We’re working hard at always improving the code and assisting developers with
   using it. Some of those improvements can be seen in [https://github.com/eventespresso/event-espresso-core/tree/BETA-4.9-message-activity](https://github.com/eventespresso/event-espresso-core/tree/BETA-4.9-message-activity)
 * We would love to see some more detailed suggestions for improving via issues 
   in our github repo or even some pull requests since you seem to have a good grasp
   of how our code could be improved.
 *  [mch0lic](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mch0lic/)
 * (@mch0lic)
 * [10 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/really-hard-to-read-plugin-code/#post-8088256)
 * Free or premium, seems to be the same hardly readable code base. It’s one of 
   the most frustrating things with this plugin, if you wanna write an add-on, or
   tweak some stuff you in for a long ride…
 *  [Darren Ethier (nerrad)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/nerrad/)
 * (@nerrad)
 * [10 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/really-hard-to-read-plugin-code/#post-8088257)
 * Oh really? So the fact that we even provide a robust add-on api for EASILY and
   QUICKLY creating an add-on for EE4 means things are hardly readable? [https://github.com/eventespresso/event-espresso-core/tree/master/tests/mocks/addons/eea-new-addon](https://github.com/eventespresso/event-espresso-core/tree/master/tests/mocks/addons/eea-new-addon)
 * It’s A LOT more helpful to us when instead of generic “this is hard to read” 
   or “this sux” type comments that we get more specific feedback. More specific
   feedback would be things like:
 * “I was looking for how to do “x”, but I couldn’t figure out where it was because
   of “y”.”
 * or
 * “The documentation you have about “x” is wrong.”
 * It’s very demoralizing when collectively as a team we’ve put in tens of thousands
   of hours into developing and improving a product “see [https://github.com/eventespresso/event-espresso-core/commits/master&#8221](https://github.com/eventespresso/event-espresso-core/commits/master&#8221);
   to have comments like this left in the wp.org reviews. Comments that give us 
   nothing to work with to actually improve things.
 * Speaking on my own and not as an EE team member (I have other plugins on wp.org),
   when I see reviews like this it sadly makes me think twice about even sharing
   a plugin on WordPress.org because its one thing to get criticism, but getting
   non-helpful biting criticism like this is just plain annoying and hurtful. I’m
   definitely not motivated to put more plugins here because of that.
 * The one thing I hope for, is that if there is another _developer_ reading this
   review that the links I’ve posted will be helpful to them.
 *  [mch0lic](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mch0lic/)
 * (@mch0lic)
 * [10 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/really-hard-to-read-plugin-code/#post-8088258)
 * Nobody is trolling here, yes you do have documentation (that covers just basic
   stuff), add-on api etc, but its extremely hard to first understand inner workings
   plugin (and unless you do you can’t write fixes, addons, etc) and the right way
   of (re)using you code, since everything is called like class1::method1 -> class2::
   method2 -> self::method3 -> method4 …, by the time you reach the place where 
   the actual code is executed you end up completely lost.
 * I understand you guys went form MVC, but its really far from being friendly plugin
   for 3rd party developers with typical functional/linear WordPress approach of
   doing things.
 *  [Darren Ethier (nerrad)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/nerrad/)
 * (@nerrad)
 * [10 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/really-hard-to-read-plugin-code/#post-8088259)
 * I edited my original post because the trolling comment was uncalled for and written
   out of frustration. My apologies. However your reply is still not helpful.
 * > yes you do have documentation (that covers just basic stuff)
 * Have you even _read the [developer documentation](https://github.com/eventespresso/event-espresso-core/tree/master/docs)_?
   What is it that you find is hard to understand? Help us help you out! Is there
   something you needed to know that isn’t covered in the documentation? Create 
   an issue to let us know so we can address!
 * > but its extremely hard to first understand inner workings plugin (and unless
   > you do you can’t write fixes, addons, etc)
 * So you’re saying the fact that we _provided_ a working example of a sample add-
   on plus some [accompanying documentation](https://github.com/eventespresso/event-espresso-core/tree/master/docs/D--Addon-API)
   does not help at all? It’s still “_extremely hard_“?

Viewing 5 replies - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)

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 * Last reply from: [Darren Ethier (nerrad)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/nerrad/)
 * Last activity: [10 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/really-hard-to-read-plugin-code/#post-8088259)