For all Shopware developers, partners and contributors, there is now comprehensive guide for both working with and contributing to the further development of the software. In cooperation with Shopware’s developer, Daniel Nögel, the popular publishing house, Rheinwerk, recently published “Shopware: The Guide for Developers”. In interview, Daniel Nögel shares what motivated him to undertake this massive project, for whom the book is particularly suitable and where you can buy it.
How does it feel to finally hold a copy of your Shopware-bestseller in your hands?
Of course, you have to feel somewhat proud when you can see months of work come together in the finished product. Now I’m simply looking forward to the reader’s feedback. I hope the explanations and descriptions both illuminate aspects of working with Shopware and bring a true added-value to the readers.
Why does somebody need a Shopware Guide when extensive Shopware Wikis are already available as a resource?
I believe the Shopware Wikis and book complement one another very well: the book takes the reader more by the hand, step-by-step through development examples. Through several chapters, the book repeatedly addresses a larger project so that both the problems and solutions can be clearly demonstrated. On one hand, this motivates the reader because they can see the complete process of something like writing a plugin for Shopware; on the other, this makes topics more manageable, because the content is explained in a way that the developer can use in their everyday life. For this reason, I can tackle very advanced topics in the book because I’ve already built the foundations with the reader early on.
The strength of the Wikis is that they go in-depth with individual topics. For instance, this makes it possible to present all possible template facets in a concise overview. Wikis are more about providing developers with relevant information on specific topics quickly and comprehensively.
For whom is this guide particularly suitable?
I actually had two target groups in mind when writing this book: beginners, who are taking their first steps with Shopware, and experienced users, who are interested in deepening their knowledge about specific topics. These include anything from the new plugin system to more advanced topics like storefront bundles or ElacticSearch. The timing of the book is highly appropriate, since so many innovations came out of Shopware within the past year.
In your opinion, which chapters/topics are particularly interesting for developers?
I think the chapter “Shopware behind the scenes” is particularly exciting for advanced developers, because we explain basic concepts that are used in everyday life, but not often examined with deeper thought. “Analyse and understand errors” is also helpful for many developers because, when it comes down to it, not everything goes as planned. In these cases, I think developers are grateful for tips on how to analyse and approach the problem on your own. In general, I think the book is beneficial for all developers because I don’t exclude any topics, and every developer has “blind spots” in certain areas.
While researching, did you encounter topics that were unfamiliar to you?
Due to the fact that I’ve been holding developer trainings for a long time, new topics weren’t really an obstacle for me. However, I can admit to being not so talented when it comes to implementing beautiful designs – I’m more inclined to sharing insights to techniques “behind the scenes”. Here I was relieved to have a few colleagues who are far more experienced with the frontend area. And of course, there were a few times when I turned to my colleagues for advice when I wasn’t sure of the best way to present a set of information.
How much previous experience is required to understand the book?
Ideally, the reader should have basic programming experience. After all, the book is a guide for working with Shopware and not a general introduction to programming. PHP, MySQL and JavaScript are the most important technologies behind Shopware – if you’re familiar with these, you won’t encounter any problems with the book’s content. However, readers who have experience with other programming languages such as Java or Python should also find the book approachable.
What is the best way for people to give feedback on the book and discuss the included coding examples?
We set up a separate area in the Shopware Forum, where readers are encouraged to provide feedback: https://forum.shopware.com/categories/shopware-das-handbuch-fuer-entwickler
If an example is contrary to what was expected or does not function as planned, the Shopware Forum is the best starting point for addressing any problems. I’m always open to praise and/or criticism – you can best find here on Twitter: https://twitter.com/danielnoegel
The book is available in specialty shops, popular marketplaces as well as https://www.rheinwerk-verlag.de/shopware_4185/