Mastering Code Efficiency: 3 Approaches Every Shopify Developer Should Know

As a Shopify developer, I often come across different code implementations while working on e-commerce projects. Today, I'd like to share three options commonly seen in the wild and discuss the challenges they pose and how to address them.

Option 1?? - Junior Approach:

In this code snippet, we can see a basic implementation by a junior developer. While it gets the job done, it lacks code reusability, leading to unnecessary repetition when handling quantity button clicks. As the codebase grows, maintaining this style becomes cumbersome and prone to bugs. The solution here lies in refactoring the code by extracting common functionality into separate functions. By doing so, we improve code organization and enhance maintainability.

function qtyMinusBtnOnClick(e) {
  const qtyInput = e.currentTarget.closest('.cart-item__info-qty').querySelector('.cart-item__info-qty-input');
  qtyInput.value = Math.max(0, Number(qtyInput.value) - 1);
  qtyInput.dispatchEvent(new Event('change'));
}

function qtyPlusBtnOnClick(e) {
  const qtyInput = e.currentTarget.closest('.cart-item__info-qty').querySelector('.cart-item__info-qty-input');
  qtyInput.value = Number(qtyInput.value) + 1;
  qtyInput.dispatchEvent(new Event('change'));
}

function removeBtnOnClick(e){
  let qtyInput = e.currentTarget.closest('.cart-item__info-qty').querySelector('.cart-item__info-qty-input');
  qtyInput.value = 0;
  qtyInput.dispatchEvent(new Event('change'));
  getProductsAvailability();
}         

Option 2?? - Mid-level Approach:

The second option shows improvement with a mid-level developer's touch. They've created a separate function to fetch the quantity input element, reducing code duplication. However, there's still room for enhancement. To overcome this, we can introduce arrow functions for event handlers. This enhances code readability and makes it more concise. Although this approach is better than the previous one, it still lacks code optimization.

const getQtyInput = (e) => e.currentTarget.closest('.cart-item__info-qty').querySelector('.cart-item__info-qty-input');

const qtyMinusBtnOnClick = (e) => {
  const qtyInput = getQtyInput(e);
  qtyInput.value = Math.max(0, Number(qtyInput.value) - 1);
  qtyInput.dispatchEvent(new Event('change'));
};

const qtyPlusBtnOnClick = (e) => {
  const qtyInput = getQtyInput(e);
  qtyInput.value = Number(qtyInput.value) + 1;
  qtyInput.dispatchEvent(new Event('change'));
};

const removeBtnOnClick = (e) => {
  const qtyInput = getQtyInput(e);
  qtyInput.value = 0;
  qtyInput.dispatchEvent(new Event('change'));
  getProductsAvailability();
};        

Option 3?? - Senior-level Approach:

The third option showcases a senior-level developer's mastery. They leverage functional programming concepts by creating a higher-order function, handleQtyChange. This impressive technique accepts an update function and returns an event handler, effectively reducing code repetition to almost none. The codebase becomes elegant, maintainable, and scalable. Senior developers choose this approach to foster code reusability and promote an efficient development process.

const getQtyInput = (e) => e.currentTarget.closest('.cart-item__info-qty').querySelector('.cart-item__info-qty-input');

const handleQtyChange = (updateFn) => (e) => {
  const qtyInput = getQtyInput(e);
  qtyInput.value = updateFn(qtyInput.value);
  qtyInput.dispatchEvent(new Event('change'));
};

const qtyMinusBtnOnClick = handleQtyChange(value => Math.max(0, Number(value) - 1));
const qtyPlusBtnOnClick = handleQtyChange(value => Number(value) + 1);
const removeBtnOnClick = handleQtyChange(() => 0);        

When facing code like Option 1, the challenge lies in avoiding redundancy and improving code quality. As developers, we can solve it by extracting shared functionality into helper functions. Option 2 represents a better approach, but it can still benefit from utilizing arrow functions for event handlers. Ultimately, Option 3 stands as a shining example of clean, reusable code, achieved through functional programming practices.

As Shopify developers, our mission is not just to create functional stores but also to ensure maintainable and scalable solutions. By consistently improving our coding practices and adopting senior-level techniques, we can elevate our craft and deliver remarkable e-commerce experiences for our clients.

#ShopifyDevelopment #EcommerceDevelopment #CodeQuality #FunctionalProgramming #DeveloperExcellence