Screen Developers

[Ozzy47]

I appreciate the coding standards, and am glad they are in place. But honestly it means nada.

There should be a screening process for new developers, maybe the first ten addons released that they are checked to ensure they meet recourse standards.

Then occasionally review an addon from everyone to ensure the same.

The coding standards are only good if administrators using poorly coded addons know what to look for, which 90% do not.

 

[Chris D]

Are you referring to any developer or situation in particular?

 

[Ozzy47]

A previous developer, that hopefully isn’t contacting people for custom work.

But it’s not just one, there are developers not quite adhering to the standards. Maybe not breaking them, but it’s still questionable.

 

[Chris D]

I did notice some of your own resources were deleted that I believe you acquired from another developer.

While you are not incorrect to recommend a greater level of scrutiny from our side, I was surprised that you agreed to take those add-ons on, only for you to later realise they had problems. That sort of due diligence should always be the first step before you assume responsibility for someone else's code.

But points noted.

 

[Ozzy47]

I agree 100% I should have reviewed the code before purchasing. I went in blindly wanting to take over abandoned addons that the community was using. I don’t care though, I lost some $$ but it’s cool.

I’m more concerned that this garbage was around the community for a few years and that people are still using it.

They got taken advantage of and screwed out of money thinking they were purchasing properly written addons.

 

[Ozzy47]

Just for reference, we were recently asked to make one of our addons compatible with another developers addon.

We couldn’t because the addon uses raw SQL query in one part of their addon.

Overriding this method would break compatibility with possible updates.

 

[Ozzy47]

And I want this for us too, we’re not perfect, we may not be doing things correctly or preferred 100% of the time. So an occasional review might nip any problems before it becomes an issue.

 

[Ivancas]

I was surprised that you agreed to take those add-ons on, only for you to later realise they had problems.

Thanks to @Ozzy47 their addons add value to XenForo itself, no matter if they are poorly coded or not. At the end, he is trying to improve the quality of the addons and that should be appreciated.

 

[RandallC]

I feel like there are only a handful of coders and most are paid now. Lots of good coders and some in the past not so good. People should be independent and review code just like you would look over a car before purchasing. Maybe I’m just independent but I only install what I must to make something happen that I intend. I’m not installing just to install addons.

 

[Mr Lucky]

People should be independent and review code just like you would look over a car before purchasing

I don't think you can expect an addon customer to review the code and know what is or isn't compliant with xenForo coding standards.

Maybe I’m just independent but I only install what I must to make something happen that I intend.

Same here, but I still wouldn't know, just because an addon does what I want, that there are no dodgy coding that could cause issues in the future.

 

[alfaNova]

No matter how much people like me manage the forum, we buy add-ons many times due to limited code knowledge. In general, we focus on the presentation and descriptions of the add-on. We do not have the competence to comment on the quality of the code arrays used in the background. I dislike using add-ons as a general principle because many times I have had to remove them due to performance or other problems caused by the developer's termination of the add-on or poor coding structure. Security vulnerabilities that may arise from add-ons are a separate discussion.

For this reason, I fully support @Ozzy47 's suggestion, including a separate status on xenforo.com for proven developers. We will understand from whom we can buy add-ons with peace of mind. In terms of sustainability, it would be a strategic step for xenforo to set and monitor add-on development standards as soon as possible.

 

[duderuud]

Really good idea!

 

[Davyc]

From a layman's perspective, I tend to look at the longevity of a developer on here and the customer feedback in terms of reviews. At this moment in time I trust only a handful of developers and anyone new entering the fray, I wait to see how they are perceived by people using their wares.

I can adjust code in files if I need to, I can tweak templates and adjust CSS, but finding out whether code complies to standards, I haven't a clue.

There's an element of trust that emerges over time, and that is the most important measure that I judge a developer from. I only use add-ons for some feature/s I 'need' for the type of sites I develop that are necessary - everything else, to me, is just fluff that most people wouldn't make use of.

 

[TimeWizardCosmo]

Webflow, Elementor and other outfits like that have a "partner program" where you apply, provide samples of your work, and then you're added to a pool of other developers who meet the requirements. They're not reviewing every site they produce, but they review enough to get a good handle on the things you do and how you work to make that judgement.

Then, you get a user title or some secondary group to help others see that you're vetted and know you do quality work.

 

[Mendalla]

review code just like you would look over a car before purchasing

Seriously? Not every forum admin has the time or knowledge to be doing that. The whole point of something like this is not to help people able to review the code themselves but those who aren't. I work in IT and wouldn't consider myself knowledgable enough. If I am paying for code, I should be able to expect it at least meets the standards required for the the job.

And I don't take the engine of my new cars apart to make sure they are built properly, which would be the equivalent for a car. Looking for bumps and scratches and taking the car for a test drive is equivalent to a trial of software, not a code review.

 

[Forsaken]

Webflow, Elementor and other outfits like that have a "partner program" where you apply, provide samples of your work, and then you're added to a pool of other developers who meet the requirements. They're not reviewing every site they produce, but they review enough to get a good handle on the things you do and how you work to make that judgement.

Then, you get a user title or some secondary group to help others see that you're vetted and know you do quality work.

This has been requested since the first or second year of XenForo, and I long gave up on it.

Automated testing is the easiest it has ever been now, and could easily be used to screen add-ons. The only issue is the Resource Manager, and whether it could support it.

 

[TickTackk]

Automated testing is the easiest it has ever been now, and could easily be used to screen add-ons. The only issue is the Resource Manager, and whether it could support it.

It is the other way around.

 

[frm]

Someone good at both XF standards and also at training a GPT could probably get a public GPT going where anyone could upload an addon to it and it gives a passing score or to feed back which lines break the standards; surely it could tell whether or not it's using raw SQL queries at a minimum.

 

[Miri]

I’m more concerned that this garbage was around the community for a few years and that people are still using it.

If I may ask: what add-ons or developer are involved? I mean in this specific case.

 

[Forsaken]

If I may ask: what add-ons or developer are involved? I mean in this specific case.

hemant_bhardwaj

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