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5 FaceBook Source Code Secrets

By Angsuman Chakraborty, Gaea News Network
Wednesday, August 15, 2007

I glanced over the Facebook source code for both index and search pages. As an enterprise developer of some experience, source code is always interesting to me as it provides an insight into the health of a company. The interesting highlights of the Facebook code are:

1. Facebook writes pretty clean code & maintains coding standards. The code is readable.

2. To Facebook coder: Calling a function to do the magic isn’t an example of clean code; in response to Facebook coders comment - “Holy shit, is this the cleanest fucking frontend file you’ve ever seen”

3. Facebook doesn’t do MVC. There isn’t any separation of concerns as far as I could see. It is also not a designer’s job. It is created by developers with tons of procedural PHP code.

4. Facebook also doesn’t do much object oriented coding either, at least it wasn’t apparent from these source files. It is plain and simple procedural code.

5. Facebook uses templates which is nice.

It does some interesting stuff with advertising, specifically estimates the length of page and attributes to determine advertisements to show. There are few interesting ideas here.

Did you expect more? There isn’t much more really, take a look yourself. I wonder if MySpace’s code is as clean.

Filed under: Facebook, Headline News, MySpace, PHP, Programming, Social Networking, Web, Web 2.0, Web Services

Tags: Software Review

Web 2.0 News

Software Review News

Discuss Bellow

Discussion

8100030d

April 13, 2010: 3:01 pm

it is very useful, thanks.

nikesh

March 7, 2010: 12:47 am

This is gud but i think its not a secret. But well tried to explain fb

Gio	January 20, 2010: 1:12 am just give source code pliz help me F.U

Socialfactory

January 16, 2010: 6:19 am

Great info there! Now all I have to do is stop being lazy and actually make one!

malek

August 26, 2009: 2:19 pm

salut

Chad Lee

June 17, 2009: 8:00 am

include_once $_SERVER['PHP_ROOT'].’/html/init.php’;
include_once $_SERVER['PHP_ROOT'].’/lib/home.php’;
include_once $_SERVER['PHP_ROOT'].’/lib/requests.php’;
include_once $_SERVER['PHP_ROOT'].’/lib/feed/newsfeed.php’;
include_once $_SERVER['PHP_ROOT'].’/lib/poke.php’;
include_once $_SERVER['PHP_ROOT'].’/lib/share.php’;
include_once $_SERVER['PHP_ROOT'].’/html/init.php’;

include_once $_SERVER['PHP_ROOT'].’/lib/home.php’;
include_once $_SERVER['PHP_ROOT'].’/lib/requests.php’;
include_once $_SERVER['PHP_ROOT'].’/lib/feed/newsfeed.php’;
include_once $_SERVER['PHP_ROOT'].’/lib/poke.php’;
include_once $_SERVER['PHP_ROOT'].’/lib/share.php’;
include_once $_SERVER['PHP_ROOT'].’/lib/orientation.php’;
include_once $_SERVER['PHP_ROOT'].’/lib/feed/newsfeed.php’;
include_once $_SERVER['PHP_ROOT'].’/lib/mobile/register.php’;
include_once $_SERVER['PHP_ROOT'].’/lib/forms_lib.php’;
include_once $_SERVER['PHP_ROOT'].’/lib/contact_importer/contact_importer.php’;
include_once $_SERVER['PHP_ROOT'].’/lib/feed/util.php’;
include_once $_SERVER['PHP_ROOT'].’/lib/hiding_prefs.php’;
include_once $_SERVER['PHP_ROOT'].’/lib/abtesting.php’;
include_once $_SERVER['PHP_ROOT'].’/lib/friends.php’;
include_once $_SERVER['PHP_ROOT'].’/lib/statusupdates.php’;

// lib/display/feed.php has to be declared here for scope issues.
// This keeps display/feed.php cleaner and easier to understand.
include_once $_SERVER['PHP_ROOT'].’/lib/display/feed.php’;
include_once $_SERVER['PHP_ROOT'].’/lib/monetization_box.php’;

// require login
$user = require_login();
print_time(’require_login’);
param_request(array( ‘react’ => $PARAM_EXISTS));

// Check and fix broken emails
// LN - disabling due to excessive can_see dirties and sets when enabled.
//check_and_fix_broken_emails($user);

// migrate AIM screenname from profile to screenname table if needed
migrate_screenname ($user);

// homepage announcement variables
$HIDE_ANNOUNCEMENT_BIT = get_site_variable(’HIDE_ANNOUNCEMENT_BIT’);
$HIDE_INTRO_BITMASK = get_site_variable(’HIDE_INTRO_BITMASK’);

// redirects
if (is_sponsor_user()) {
redirect(’bizhome.php’, ‘www’);
}

include_once $_SERVER['PHP_ROOT'].’/lib/mesg.php’;
include_once $_SERVER['PHP_ROOT'].’/lib/invitetool.php’;
include_once $_SERVER['PHP_ROOT'].’/lib/grammar.php’;
include_once $_SERVER['PHP_ROOT'].’/lib/securityq.php’;
include_once $_SERVER['PHP_ROOT'].’/lib/events.php’;
include_once $_SERVER['PHP_ROOT'].’/lib/rooster/stories.php’;

// todo: password confirmation redirects here (from html/reset.php),
// do we want a confirmation message?

param_get_slashed(array(
‘feeduser’ => $PARAM_INT, //debug: gets feed for user here
‘err’ => $PARAM_STRING, // returning from a failed entry on an orientation form
‘error’ => $PARAM_STRING, // an error can also be here because the profile photo upload code is crazy
‘ret’ => $PARAM_INT,
’success’ => $PARAM_INT, // successful profile picture upload
‘jn’ => $PARAM_INT, // joined a network for orientation
‘np’ => $PARAM_INT, // network pending (for work/address network)
‘me’ => $PARAM_STRING, // mobile error
‘mr’ => $PARAM_EXISTS, // force mobile reg view
‘mobile’ => $PARAM_EXISTS, // mobile confirmation code sent
‘jif’ => $PARAM_EXISTS, // just imported friends
‘ied’ => $PARAM_STRING, // import email domain
‘o’ => $PARAM_EXISTS, // first time orientation, passed on confirm
‘verified’ => $PARAM_EXISTS)); // verified mobile phone

param_post(array(
‘leave_orientation’ => $PARAM_EXISTS,
’show_orientation’ => $PARAM_INT, // show an orientation step
‘hide_orientation’ => $PARAM_INT)); // skip an orientation step

// homepage actions
if ($req_react && validate_expiring_hash($req_react, $GLOBALS['url_md5key'])) {
$show_reactivated_message = true;
} else {
$show_reactivated_message = false;
}
tpl_set(’show_reactivated_message’, $show_reactivated_message);

// upcoming events
events_check_future_events($user); // make sure big tunas haven’t moved around
$upcoming_events = events_get_imminent_for_user($user);

// this is all stuff that can be fetched together!
$upcoming_events_short = array();
obj_multiget_short(array_keys($upcoming_events), true, $upcoming_events_short);
$new_pokes = 0;
//only get the next N pokes for display
//where N is set in the dbget to avoid caching issues
$poke_stats = get_num_pokes($user);
get_next_pokes($user, true, $new_pokes);
$poke_count = $poke_stats['unseen'];

$targeted_data = array();
home_get_cache_targeted_data($user, true, $targeted_data);
$announcement_data = array();
home_get_cache_announcement_data($user, true, $announcement_data);
$orientation = 0;
orientation_get_status($user, true, $orientation);
$short_profile = array();
profile_get_short($user, true, $short_profile);
// pure priming stuff
privacy_get_network_settings($user, true);
$presence = array();
mobile_get_presence_data($user, true, $presence);
feedback_get_event_weights($user, true);
// Determine if we want to display the feed intro message
$intro_settings = 0;
user_get_hide_intro_bitmask($user, true, $intro_settings);
$user_friend_finder = true;
contact_importer_get_used_friend_finder($user, true, $used_friend_finder);
$all_requests = requests_get_cache_data($user);
// FIXME?: is it sub-optimal to call this both in requests_get_cache_data and here?
$friends_status = statusupdates_get_recent($user, null, 3);
memcache_dispatch(); // populate cache data

// Merman’s Admin profile always links to the Merman’s home
if (user_has_obj_attached($user)) {
redirect(’mhome.php’, ‘www’);
}

if (is_array($upcoming_events)) {
foreach ($upcoming_events as $event_id => $data) {
$upcoming_events[$event_id]['name'] = txt_set($upcoming_events_short[$event_id]['name']);
}
}

tpl_set(’upcoming_events’ , $upcoming_events);

// disabled account actions
$disabled_warning = ((IS_DEV_SITE || IS_QA_SITE) && is_disabled_user($user));
tpl_set(’disabled_warning’, $disabled_warning);

// new pokes (no more messages here, they are in the top nav!)
if (!user_is_guest($user)) {
tpl_set(’poke_count’ , $poke_count);
tpl_set(’pokes’ , $new_pokes);
}

// get announcement computations
tpl_set(’targeted_data’ , $targeted_data);
tpl_set(’announcement_data’ , $announcement_data);

// birthday notifications
tpl_set(’birthdays’ , $birthdays = user_get_birthday_notifications($user, $short_profile));
tpl_set(’show_birthdays’ , $show_birthdays = (count($birthdays) || !$orientation));

// user info
tpl_set(’first_name’ , user_get_first_name(txt_set($short_profile['id'])));
tpl_set(’user’ , $user);

// decide if there are now any requests to show
$show_requests = false;
foreach ($all_requests as $request_category) {
if ($request_category) {
$show_requests = true;
break;
}
}
tpl_set(’all_requests’, $show_requests ? $all_requests : null);

$permissions = privacy_get_reduced_network_permissions($user, $user);

// status
$user_info = array(’user’ => $user,
‘firstname’ => user_get_first_name($user),
’see_all’ => ‘/statusupdates/?ref=hp’,
‘profile_pic’ => make_profile_image_src_direct($user, ‘thumb’),
’square_pic’ => make_profile_image_src_direct($user, ’square’));

if (!empty($presence) && $presence['status_time'] > (time() - 60*60*24*7)) {
$status = array(’message’ => txt_set($presence['status']),
‘time’ => $presence['status_time'],
’source’ => $presence['status_source']);
} else {
$status = array(’message’ => null, ‘time’ => null, ’source’ => null);
}
tpl_set(’user_info’, $user_info);

tpl_set(’show_status’, $show_status = !$orientation);
tpl_set(’status’, $status);
tpl_set(’status_custom’, $status_custom = mobile_get_status_custom($user));
tpl_set(’friends_status’, $friends_status);

// orientation
if ($orientation) {
if ($post_leave_orientation) {
orientation_update_status($user, $orientation, 2);
notification_notify_exit_orientation($user);
dirty_user($user);
redirect(’home.php’);
} else if (orientation_eligible_exit(array(’uid’=>$user)) == 2) {
orientation_update_status($user, $orientation, 1);
notification_notify_exit_orientation($user);
dirty_user($user);
redirect(’home.php’);
}
}

// timezone - outside of stealth, update user’s timezone if necessary
$set_time = !user_is_alpha($user, ’stealth’);
tpl_set(’timezone_autoset’, $set_time );
if ($set_time) {
$daylight_savings = get_site_variable(’DAYLIGHT_SAVINGS_ON’);
tpl_set(’timezone’, $short_profile['timezone'] - ($daylight_savings ? 4 : 5) );
}

// set next step if we can
if (!$orientation) {
user_set_next_step($user, $short_profile);
}

// note: don’t make this an else with the above statement, because then no news feed stories will be fetched if they’re exiting orientation
if ($orientation) {
extract(orientation_get_const());

require_js(’js/dynamic_dialog.js’);
require_js(’js/suggest.js’);
require_js(’js/typeahead_ns.js’);
require_js(’js/suggest.js’);
require_js(’js/editregion.js’);
require_js(’js/orientation.js’);
require_css(’css/typeahead.css’);
require_css(’css/editor.css’);

if ($post_hide_orientation && $post_hide_orientation <= $ORIENTATION_MAX) {
$orientation['orientation_bitmask'] |= ($post_hide_orientation * $ORIENTATION_SKIPPED_MODIFIER);
orientation_update_status($user, $orientation);
} else if ($post_show_orientation && $post_show_orientation $get_jn,
‘name’ => network_get_name($get_jn));
// network join pending
} else if ($get_np) {

$stories[$ORIENTATION_ORDER[$ORIENTATION_NETWORK]]['join_pending'] = array(
‘id’ => $get_np,
‘email’ => get_affil_email_conf($user, $get_np),
‘network’ => network_get_name($get_np));
// just imported friend confirmation
} else if ($get_jif) {
$stories[$ORIENTATION_ORDER[$ORIENTATION_NETWORK]]['just_imported_friends'] = true;
$stories[$ORIENTATION_ORDER[$ORIENTATION_NETWORK]]['domain'] = $get_ied;
}

// Mobile web API params
if ($get_mobile) {
$stories[$ORIENTATION_ORDER[$ORIENTATION_MOBILE]]['sent_code'] = true;
$stories[$ORIENTATION_ORDER[$ORIENTATION_MOBILE]]['view'] = ‘confirm’;
}
if ($get_verified) {
$stories[$ORIENTATION_ORDER[$ORIENTATION_MOBILE]]['verified'] = true;
}
if ($get_me) {
$stories[$ORIENTATION_ORDER[$ORIENTATION_MOBILE]]['error'] = $get_me;
}
if ($get_mr) {
$stories[$ORIENTATION_ORDER[$ORIENTATION_MOBILE]]['view'] = ‘register’;
}

if (orientation_eligible_exit($orientation)) {
tpl_set(’orientation_show_exit’, true);
}
tpl_set(’orientation_stories’, $stories);

//if in orientation, we hide all feed intros (all 1’s in bitmask)
$intro_settings = -1;

}
tpl_set(’orientation’, $orientation);

// Rooster Stories
if (!$orientation &&
((get_site_variable(’ROOSTER_ENABLED’) == 2) ||
(get_site_variable(’ROOSTER_DEV_ENABLED’) == 2))) {
$rooster_story_count = get_site_variable(’ROOSTER_STORY_COUNT’);
if (!isset($rooster_story_count)) {
// Set default if something is wrong with the sitevar
$rooster_story_count = 2;
}
$rooster_stories = rooster_get_stories($user, $rooster_story_count, $log_omissions = true);
if (!empty($rooster_stories) && !empty($rooster_stories['stories'])) {
// Do page-view level logging here
foreach($rooster_stories['stories'] as $story) {
rooster_log_action($user, $story, ROOSTER_LOG_ACTION_VIEW);
}
tpl_set(’rooster_stories’, $rooster_stories);
}
}

// set the variables for the home announcement code
$hide_announcement_tpl = ($intro_settings | $HIDE_INTRO_BITMASK) & $HIDE_ANNOUNCEMENT_BIT;
// if on qa/dev site, special rules
$HIDE_INTRO_ON_DEV = get_site_variable(’HIDE_INTRO_ON_DEV’);
if ((IS_QA_SITE || IS_DEV_SITE) && !$HIDE_INTRO_ON_DEV) {
$hide_announcement_tpl = 0;
}

tpl_set(’hide_announcement’, $hide_announcement_tpl);
if($is_candidate = is_candidate_user($user)) {
tpl_set(’hide_announcement’, false);
}
$home_announcement_tpl = !$hide_announcement_tpl || $is_candidate ? home_get_announcement_info($user) : 0;
tpl_set(’home_announcement’, $home_announcement_tpl);
tpl_set(’hide_announcement_bit’, $HIDE_ANNOUNCEMENT_BIT);

$show_friend_finder = !$orientation && contact_importer_enabled($user) && !user_get_hiding_pref($user, ‘home_friend_finder’);
tpl_set(’show_friend_finder’, $show_friend_finder);
if ($show_friend_finder && (user_get_friend_count($user) > 20)) {
tpl_set(’friend_finder_hide_options’, array(’text’=>’close’,
‘onclick’=>”return clearFriendFinder()”));
} else {
tpl_set(’friend_finder_hide_options’, null);
}

$account_info = user_get_account_info($user);
$account_create_time = $account_info['time'];

tpl_set(’show_friend_finder_top’,
!$used_friend_finder);

tpl_set(’user’, $user);

// MONETIZATION BOX
$minimize_monetization_box = user_get_hiding_pref($user, ‘home_monetization’);
$show_monetization_box = (!$orientation &&
get_site_variable(’HOMEPAGE_MONETIZATION_BOX’));
tpl_set(’show_monetization_box’, $show_monetization_box);
tpl_set(’minimize_monetization_box’, $minimize_monetization_box);

if ($show_monetization_box) {
$monetization_box_data = monetization_box_user_get_data($user);
txt_set(’monetization_box_data’, $monetization_box_data);
}

// ORIENTATION
if ($orientation) {
$network_ids = id_get_networks($user);
$network_names = multiget_network_name($network_ids);
$in_corp_network = in_array($GLOBALS['TYPE_CORP'], array_map(’extract_network_type’, $network_ids));
$show_corp_search = $in_corp_network ||
get_age(user_get_basic_info_attr($user, ‘birthday’)) >= 21;
$pending_hs = is_hs_pending_user($user);
$hs_id = null;
$hs_name = null;
if ($pending_hs) {
foreach (id_get_pending_networks($user) as $network) {
if (extract_network_type($network['network_key']) == $GLOBALS['TYPE_HS']) {
$hs_id = $network['network_key'];
$hs_name = network_get_name($hs_id);
break;
}
}
}
//$orientation_people = orientation_get_friend_and_inviter_ids($user);
$orientation_people = array(’friends’ => user_get_all_friends($user),
‘pending’ => array_keys(user_get_friend_requests($user)),
‘inviters’=> array(), // wc: don’t show inviters for now
);
$orientation_info = array_merge($orientation_people,
array(’network_names’ => $network_names,
’show_corp_search’ => $show_corp_search,
‘pending_hs’ => array(’hs_id’=>$hs_id,
‘hs_name’=>$hs_name),
‘user’ => $user,
));
tpl_set(’orientation_info’, $orientation_info);

tpl_set(’simple_orientation_first_login’, $get_o); // unused right now
}

// Roughly determine page length for ads
// first, try page length using right-hand panel
$ads_page_length_data = 3 + // 3 for profile pic + next step
($show_friend_finder ? 1 : 0) +
($show_status ? ($status_custom ? count($friends_status) : 0) : 0) +
($show_monetization_box ? 1 : 0) +
($show_birthdays ? count($birthdays) : 0) +
count($new_pokes);

// page length using feed stories
if ($orientation) {
$ads_page_length_data = max($ads_page_length_data, count($stories) * 5);
}
tpl_set(’ads_page_length_data’, $ads_page_length_data);

$feed_stories = null;
if (!$orientation) { // if they’re not in orientation they get other cool stuff
// ad_insert: the ad type to try to insert for the user
// (0 if we don’t want to try an insert)
$ad_insert = get_site_variable(’FEED_ADS_ENABLE_INSERTS’);

$feed_off = false;

if (check_super($user) && $get_feeduser){
$feed_stories = user_get_displayable_stories($get_feeduser, 0, null, $ad_insert);
} else if (can_see($user, $user, ‘feed’)) {
$feed_stories = user_get_displayable_stories($user, 0, null, $ad_insert);
} else {
$feed_off = true;
}

// Friend’s Feed Selector - Requires dev.php constant
if (is_friendfeed_user($user)) {
$friendfeed = array();
$friendfeed['feeduser'] = $get_feeduser;
$friendfeed['feeduser_name'] = user_get_name($get_feeduser);
$friendfeed['friends'] = user_get_all_friends($user);
tpl_set(’friendfeed’, $friendfeed);
}

$feed_stories = feed_adjust_timezone($user, $feed_stories);

tpl_set(’feed_off’, $feed_off ? redirect(’privacy.php?view=feeds’, null, false) : false);
}
tpl_set(’feed_stories’, $feed_stories);

render_template($_SERVER['PHP_ROOT'].’/html/home.phpt’);
Comments
Add New Search RSS
Here
Ty552639@yahoo.com (IP:66.245.114.107) 2007-12-20 22:19:20
include_once $_SERVER['PHP_ROOT'].’/html/init.php’;
include_once $_SERVER['PHP_ROOT'].’/lib/home.php’;
include_once $_SERVER['PHP_ROOT'].’/lib/requests.php’;
include_once $_SERVER['PHP_ROOT'].’/lib/feed/newsfeed.php’;
include_once $_SERVER['PHP_ROOT'].’/lib/poke.php’;
include_once $_SERVER['PHP_ROOT'].’/lib/share.php’;

include_once $_SERVER['PHP_ROOT'].’/html/init.php’;