Servage Magazine

Whenever you are building something for a web project, you are likely to do something which has already been done. Maybe not exactly in the variation you are working on, but usually following some of the same principles  some other solution already has. Imagine if all that knowledge and code could be shared efficiently, so you would never have the need to reinvent the wheel? Obviously that is not going to happen anytime soon, but there are resources available already, which make coding a lot smoother for web developers.

Libraries and frameworks

The most commonly used code is available through a wide range of great and popular libraries and frameworks. These packages include common functionality used by thousands of developers, which extends beyond the functionality of the underlying programming or scripting language.

Modules, plugins and snippets

Most code systems nowadays are built rather smart when it comes to modularizing code. The ability to put chunks of code into small blocks of specific funtionalty facilitates the reuse – and thereby also the sharing – of code. These packages, often called modules, plugins or simply code snippets, are sometimes shared via integrated systems like the WordPress Plugin system,  Packagist or similar portals. However, often it also just available via specialized portals, without any option to automatically install or include the code. These are the sites you sometimes stumble upon, when you research a given problem and maybe find something useful via Google.

Code Canyon

Code Canyon is a website which offers code, both free and premium, for varios purposes. You can easily browse their portal for inspiration, but also often specific Google searches for a given problem send you to this site, because they have quite a lot of great packages. Code Canyon is better than most code sharing projects, because they offer good quality packages, which are usually easier and faster to integrate than some tips you gather from a discussion forum or mailing list.

You can find code for various programming languages and purposes. There are PHP scripts, HTML snippets, Javascript, mobile technology code and more.

Search and you will find

The mentioned Code Canyon website above is one of many examples of professional code sharing portals. The point here is not that this website solves all your problems, but the point is that it usually pays off trying to implement an existing module in a project whenever you are working with something rather common. Usually your preferred search engine is your best friend.

Share your own code

Remember that code sharing is a two way street. Try to think about how much open-source code you have already used, and compare it to how much code you have contributed yourself. For many developers the last part is usualy zero. Therefore, whenever you have something usefull, consider to share your own code, so others can make use of it. It could be via open-source sharing, or even via premium sharing portals. If yo make good code, why not earn some money with it?