+++
title = "When There's Not a Module For That"
outputs = ["Reveal"]
+++

# When There's Not a Module For That

###### [mid.camp/6337](https://mid.camp/6337)

<img alt="Agaric" src="images/o-midcamp.png" class="plain" />

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mid-air camp
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---

###### Presented by

**Benjamin Melançon** & **Mauricio Dinarte**

###### AKA

**[mlncn](https://agaric.coop/mlncn)** & **[dinarcon](https://agaric.coop/dinarcon)**

---


### Together,

## We are

#### ⅓

#### of


---


<img alt="Agaric" src="images/agaric-logo-stacked.png" class="plain" />

**ask@agaric.coop**

---


<img alt="Agaric" src="images/o-midcamp.png" class="plain" width="47%" />

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mid-air camp
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---


> When building a Drupal site, “there’s a module for that” can be the sweetest words you can hear.


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---

What do you do

## When there's not a module for that

?

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You make your own.  It's easy.
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---


![Regular node add form with Save button](images/create-frankenstein-unmodified.png)


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Say you're creating a site where people can relive great literature that may have been inspired by a famine.

You've already created an excellent content type under Structure » Content.
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---


`frankenstein.info.yml`

```yaml
name: Frankenstein
type: module
description: "Rename save button for Frankenstein's content."
core: 8.x|9.x
```
&nbsp;  


`frankenstein.module`

```php
<?php
function frankenstein_form_node_frankenstein_form_alter(&$form, \Drupal\Core\Form\FormStateInterface $form_state) {
  $form['actions']['submit']['#value'] = t('Re-animate!');
}
```

---

### Where to put these files

![Folder hierarchy of custom module in Drupal](images/frankenstein-location-in-ranger.png)


---


![Regular node add form with Save button](images/create-frankenstein-unmodified.png)


---


**Enable your module:**

`drush -y en frankenstein`


---


*That slide was the most important you're going to be shown.*

# Enable your module


---


![Regular node add form with Save button as reanimate](images/create-frankenstein-reanimate.png)

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Tadaaa!  Now you know how to make a module!
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---

![Adam Scott staring at the camera](images/adam-scott-conan-stare.gif)

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So you're all sitting* there thinking ... sure, that's easy if you know the exact words and symbols to *put* in that file.  And you're absolutely right.

And we're going to tell you how you can figure out all of that.
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---

`frankenstein.info.yml`

```yaml
name: Frankenstein
type: module
description: "Rename save button for Frankenstein's content."
core: 8.x|9.x
```
&nbsp;  


`frankenstein.module`

```php
<?php
function frankenstein_form_node_frankenstein_form_alter(&$form, \Drupal\Core\Form\FormStateInterface $form_state) {
  $form['actions']['submit']['#value'] = t('Re-animate!');
}
```

---


A few basic approaches give a lot of power.

<img alt="Screwdriver with extensive collection of driver tips." src="images/screwdriver-tip-set.jpg" width="70%" />

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The examples with the what will tell you a lot about the how.

A few specific examples will give you a lot of tools.

But first, two secrets.

One's good news, second is bad news.
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---


### 1. Now you know where to paste

![How do I exit the Vim editor? viewed 2.1 million times](images/stack-overflow-helping-devs-quit-vim.png)

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And knowing where to paste unleashes the power of Stack Overflow / Stack Exchange sites.

(yes, the same family of sites that has helped a couple million developers figure out how to quit vim.)

Knowing where to put this code unleashes the power of Stack Overflow.

You now know enough to be dangerous.
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---


### 2. That simple form alter has hidden gotchas

&nbsp;

* As written, it only applies to the create (node/add) form— not the edit form.
* There's a dozen variations of the humble form alter hook, and all are valid.

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With our dirty secrets acknowledged, on with the show.
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---


## The Show

- Act One: **How Not To Make a Module**
- Act Two: **How Not To Have to Make a Whole Module**
- Act Three: **How To Make a Module**
- Act Four: **How To Figure Out How To Make a Module**


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With our dirty secrets acknowledged, on with the show.
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---


## We'll cover 

* Hooks
  * Form alter
  * Node insert
* Plugins
  * Block
  * Formatter
* Services
  * Route subscriber
  * Event subscriber

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the three main ways to mess with Drupal 8 and 9: hooks, plugins, and services, with a couple examples in each.

both examples of what technically to do and how to do general things

For example:

Doing something with a form?  You want hook_form_alter() or one of its variants.
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---


## Learning to learn

* Drupal documentation
* Drupal contributed modules
* Drupal core and *its* modules
* Drupal forums and issues
* Drupal.StackExchange.com
* The rest of the Internet
* Debugger
* Code search / grep

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Where to start if i don't cover it in this session
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---


#### When not to make a module?

[![Turtle with golf ball on spring contraption on back.](images/rube-goldberg-tortoise.jpg)](https://www.koreus.com/video/machine-rube-goldberg-lente.html)

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You can do anything with a module!  Why wouldn't you make one every day?
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---


#### …when there's an easier way

![Ginger Howard completing her swing after hitting a golf ball](images/ginger-howard-golf-swing.jpg)

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find a contrib module that does it

Should it be in a template
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---

##### Thre's a module that *almost* does exactly what you want

* Contribute a patch!


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Even if your patch is not accepted nor is there any way given to build on the module, you can fork the module— maintain your own copy.
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---


### When to make a module


![Lego heart with a missing piece](images/lego-heart-missing-piece.jpg)

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You've identified to the best of your ability that there's definitely not something out there that does what you want to do.

I personally do not advocate introspection at this point:  Why am i trying to do something that no one else is trying to do?

Credit: lego heart is credited to Llama-Muffin-Kelly on DeviantArt but only see it on Pinterest
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---


#### Step 1: Write up what you plan to do

[groups.drupal.org/contributed-module-ideas](https://groups.drupal.org/contributed-module-ideas)

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The module does not exist.


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---


### The Rest of the Internet

* Duck Duck Go (!g for Google results)
  * [ddg.co](https://duckduckgo.com/)
* [agaric.coop/blog](https://agaric.coop/blog)
* Your own notes

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---





---

## Why contribute?

* Right thing to do
* I asked you to
* People may contribute to it
* Someone may take it over and upgrade it or improve it greatly

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---

[![Workflow buttons issue: Add a configure link in Extend page.](images/workflow-buttons-add-configure-link-in-extend-page.png)](https://www.drupal.org/project/workflow_buttons/issues/3120524)

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Or someone may make a tiny improvement that makes everyone's lives better.
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---

## Nice touches

`workflow_buttons.info.yml`

```diff
 type: module
 description: 'Provide workflow buttons for content moderation instead of a select dropdown of states.'
 core: 8.x
+configure: workflow_buttons.settings
 
 dependencies:
   - drupal:system (>=8.4)
```

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---

### How to develop while sharing the same code you're using

Your module `composer.json`:

```json
{
    "name": "drupal/cyborgtranslate",
    "description": "Trigger Google translate and Drupal interface translation at the same time, allowing sections of your site's localization to be done by humans and the rest by machines.",
    "keywords": ["drupal", "translation", "multilingual", "localization", "google translate"],
    "type": "drupal-module",
    "license": "GPL-2.0+",
    "homepage": "https://www.drupal.org/project/cyborgtranslate",
    "minimum-stability": "dev",
    "support": {
        "issues": "https://www.drupal.org/project/issues/cyborgtranslate",
        "source": "https://gitlab.com/agaric/drupal/cyborgtranslate/tree/8.x-1.x"
    }
}
```

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Composer makes a lot of stuff seem more complicated, but it makes it easier to contribute.

Trust me... this will only be three screens of gibberish.
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---

Your project root `composer.json`:


```json
{
    "require": {
        "drupal/core": "^8.8.0",
        "drupal/cyborgtranslate": "dev-8.x-1.x as 1.x-dev",
        "drush/drush": "^9.0"
    },
    "repositories": {
        "drupal": {
            "type": "composer",
            "url": "https://packages.drupal.org/8"
        },
        "drupal/cyborgtranslate": {
            "type": "git",
            "url": "git@gitlab.com:agaric/drupal/cyborgtranslate.git"
        }
    }
}
```

---


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---

![Little rabbit in big grass](images/little-rabbit-in-big-grass.jpg)
[MID.CAMP/6337](https://mid.camp/6337) &middot; <a href="mailto:ask@agaric.coop">ASK@AGARIC.COOP</a>

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It's a big wild world out there.  Bite off a piece you can chew.

Links for all of this and more on the session page.
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