VS Code - CTRL + SHIFT + P

Most developers working with PHP prefer PHPStorm—and for good reason. But when I started, Visual Studio Code won me over, thanks to something as simple as the Command Palette. That little shortcut lets you run a bunch of tasks without ever reaching for the mouse. It's quick, powerful, and surprisingly addictive.

In Magento 2 development, speed and simplicity are everything. The Command Palette helps developers stay in the flow. No jumping through sub-menus or getting lost in toolbars. Just a clean interface and instant access to recent or searchable commands.

Menus? They're fine. But once you’re buried in sub-menus and miss the right click, you’re back to square one. Commands fix that.

One of the tools I use daily is the MagentoWizard plugin. If you haven’t seen it yet, you’re missing out. It gives you quick access to commands for:

• Creating M2 extensions

• Generating Before/After/Around plugins

• Setting up CRUDs and observers

• Building XML and URN catalogs

And yes—it supports all versions of Magento 2 and PHP. Clean, fast, and consistent.

What I love most? You don’t need to memorize where to click. Most extensions just blend right in and offer command access out of the box.

There are even a few hidden features in MagentoWizard that most devs miss. Curious? I’m thinking of writing a follow-up with those lesser-known tricks. Let me know if you're interested!

Thank you for reading

Magento 2 Mixins (JS)

Magento 2 uses JavaScript Mixins to modify or extend existing JavaScript components without changing the core files. This makes customization safe and upgrade-friendly. Let’s explore how mixins work with easy-to-understand examples!

Extend core & 3rd-party using Plugins

🔧 Magento 2 Plugins: Before, After, and Around Explained (with Real Use Cases)

Magento 2 plugins, also known as interceptors, are a powerful way to customize and extend core functionality without overriding original classes. If you're building custom features or tweaking existing behavior, understanding Before, After, and Around plugins is a must.

🧩 What Are Magento 2 Plugins?

Plugins in Magento 2 allow you to intercept method calls at three key points:

• Before: Run custom code before the original method.
• After: Run code after the original method and optionally modify its return value.
• Around: Take full control over the method execution.

🛠 Code Examples

Let’s say you want to modify the behavior of the getFinalPrice() method in a product class.

🟨 Before Plugin

public function beforeGetFinalPrice(\Magento\Catalog\Model\Product $subject, $qty) {
    return [$qty + 1]; // Modify argument
}

🟩 After Plugin

public function afterGetFinalPrice(\Magento\Catalog\Model\Product $subject, $result) {
    return $result * 0.9; // Apply 10% discount
}

🟥 Around Plugin

public function aroundGetFinalPrice(\Magento\Catalog\Model\Product $subject, callable $proceed, $qty) {
    if ($subject->getTypeId() == 'virtual') {
      return 0; // Skip method
    }
    return $proceed($qty);
}

✅ When to Use Plugins

• Before: Modify method input (e.g. price, quantity)
• After: Tweak returned data (e.g. formatted output, discounts)
• Around: Override behavior, apply conditions, or stop execution

❌ When Not to Use Plugins

• Avoid using with constructors or final/private/static methods
• Don’t use Around plugins excessively—they can increase complexity and performance overhead
• For simple behavior tracking, use observers instead

🔍 How to Find Which Plugins Are Used

Use this CLI command:

bin/magento dev:di:info Magento\Catalog\Model\Product | grep Plugin

Or, if you want full visibility, inspect::

• generated/metadata/
• generated/code/
• di.xml entries for <type name="ClassName">

💡 Recommended Plugin Practices

Do	Don't
Use DI and type-safe arguments	Overuse Around plugins
Add PHPUnit tests for each plugin	Modify constructor logic
Name plugins clearly (e.g., ApplyDiscountPlugin)	Skip docblocks and comments
Keep logic concise and focused	Use many plugins on the same method

🏆 Recommended Plugin Tools

• 🔌 MagentoWizard (VS Code plugin): Auto-generate plugins quickly
• 📦 Mage2Gen: Plugin scaffolding with XML support
• 🚫 Avoid: Poorly maintained or unverified third-party plugins

🚀 Final Thoughts

Magento plugins are incredibly flexible—but with great power comes great responsibility. Use Before and After wisely, and save Around for when it’s truly necessary. And always write clean, well-tested, documented code. Your future self will thank you! 🙌