Escaping the Code Maze

We return in March and we have Yannick giving his talk "Escaping the Code Maze".

Escaping the Code Maze
Yannick Chenot

Exploring a code base is like navigating a maze with a partial map. While some paths are correctly indicated, some are mislabelled or turn out to be dead ends. Take a childless class not marked as final, for instance – the keyword’s absence is like a sign pointing to a dark tunnel leading nowhere.
How many such paths do we accidentally – or deliberately – leave open?

This presentation introduces the Closed-by-Default Principle, a reframing of existing principles focussed on keeping those paths shut, relieving the developer’s cognitive load in the process.

It is also an exploration of PHP’s evolution over time, each version introducing features to keep the maze as navigable as possible. We’ll also see how to leverage static analysis tools to automate the corresponding rules, giving developers the assurance that all paths lead somewhere.
----
Lamp Bristol is kindly helping us host this evening. Thanks to them!
Your first time coming to PHPSW? Welcome!
Here's how the evening tends to run:

• Feel free to turn up from 6:30pm.
• We'll have a selection of food available from about 6:30pm, all free of charge thanks to our sponsors. It's a great chance to speak to people (we're a friendly bunch!) and do a bit of networking. Just speak to an organiser if you'd like an introduction to people, or just dive in and say "hello!".
• At 7pm, we'll do a quick welcome talk and some community announcements
• At ~7:05pm we'll start the talks
• We finish at 8:00pm. We always stay for a drink afterwards to discuss the talks and anything else that takes your fancy. 🐘