Intention
vs
Implementation(s)
Example: a feature request
In order to review blog posts, admins can see additional information.
Implementation
- if current_user.admin?
// html with details of the blog post
So what?
- it works
- it's clear
... but
What was expected?
- admins can see details
- reviewers can see details
- reviewers are admins
What has been coded?
VS
What was expected?
- admins can see details
- reviewers can see details
- reviewers are admins
What has been coded?
!=
Intention
Implementation
Why does it matter?
if is the only criteria for all actions in the code, we can't track the intentions.
It's introducing hidden costs in understanding and maintenance.
current_user.admin?How would you do?
Authorization gems are dedicated to this task.
Or you can create meaningful methods
class User
def can_review_posts?
admin?
end
end- if current_user.can_review_posts?
// html with details of the blog post
Conclusion
Most of the time, feature requests themselves confuse intention and implementation.
Think twice before coding, and make business logic appear in your code.
Intention vs Implementation
By Benjamin Roth
Intention vs Implementation
Feature implementations or even feature requests themselves sometimes confuse the "why" and the "how". Even if the resulting code works, it makes business logic's intentions disappear, which costs in both understanding and maintenance.
