---
layout: default
title: Useful code tricks
---

# "Builders"

Problem: It is difficult to get CAA and other records exactly right.

Solution: Use a "builder" to construct it for you.

* [CAA Builder]({{site.github.url}}/caa-builder)
* [SPF Optimizer]({{site.github.url}}/spf-optimizer)

# Repeat records in many domains (macros)

Problem: I have a set of records I'd like to include in many domains.

Solution: Assign a list to a var and use the var in each domain.

Example:

Domains that use Google G-Suite require a specific list of MX
records, plus there are some CNAMEs that are useful (but we only
want the CNAMEs on a subset of domains).

```js
var GOOGLE_APPS_DOMAIN_MX = [
  MX("@", 1, "aspmx.l.google.com."),
  MX("@", 5, "alt1.aspmx.l.google.com."),
  MX("@", 5, "alt2.aspmx.l.google.com."),
  MX("@", 10, "alt3.aspmx.l.google.com."),
  MX("@", 10, "alt4.aspmx.l.google.com."),
];
var GOOGLE_APPS_DOMAIN_SITES = [
  CNAME("groups", "ghs.googlehosted.com."),
  CNAME("drive", "ghs.googlehosted.com."),
  CNAME("calendar", "ghs.googlehosted.com."),
  CNAME("mail", "ghs.googlehosted.com."),
  CNAME("sites", "ghs.googlehosted.com."),
  CNAME("start", "ghs.googlehosted.com."),
];

D("primarydomain.tld", DnsProvider(...),
   GOOGLE_APPS_DOMAIN_MX,
   GOOGLE_APPS_DOMAIN_SITES,
   A(...),
   CNAME(...)
}

D("aliasdomain.tld", DnsProvider(...),
   GOOGLE_APPS_DOMAIN_MX,
   // FYI: GOOGLE_APPS_DOMAIN_SITES is not used here.
   A(...),
   CNAME(...)
}
```

# Many domains with the exact same records

Problem: We have many domains, each should have the exact same
records.

Solution: Use a loop. (Note: See caveats below.)

```js
// The domains are parked. Use the exact same records for each.
_.each(
  [
    "example1.tld",
    "example2.tld",
    "example3.tld",
  ],
  function (d) {
    D(d, REG_NAMECOM, DnsProvider(NAMECOM),
       A("@", "10.2.3.4"),
       CNAME("www", "@"),
    END);
  }
);
```

# Caveats about getting too fancy.

The dnsconfig.js language is JavaScript. On the plus side, this means
you can use loops and variables and anything else you want.

However, we don't recommend you get too fancy.

*A new JS interpreter may break your code*

Some day we may change from the
[Otto JS interpreter](https://github.com/robertkrimen/otto) to
something else.  This may break your configuration if you depend on
unusual or obscure behavior of Otto.

Loops and macros are fine. Just don't get too fancy.

*Complexity is a killer*

As Brian Kernighan wrote, "Debugging is twice as hard as writing the
code in the first place. Therefore, if you write the code as cleverly
as possible, you are, by definition, not smart enough to debug it."

Sure, you can do a lot of neat tricks with `if/then`s and macros and
loops. Yes, YOU understand the code.  However, think about your
coworkers who will be the *next* person to edit the file.  Are you
setting them up for failure?

And what about You Six Months From Now (YSMFN)?  Have you met YSMFN?
They're a great person. You'll meet them soon.  In about 6 months, I
predict. That person is a lot like you, but definitely won't remember
how all those clever tricks work. That person also might be tired,
sleepy, and possibly drunk.  You really want to keep the configuration
file simple for YSMFN.

The goal of DNSControl is to empower non-experts to safely make DNS
changes.  A DNS expert should create the initial configuration, but
your non-expert coworkers should be able to send PR and make changes
without too much hand-holding.  Complexity prevents that.

*What to do instead?*

Isolate the clever stuff from what a typical user will need to edit.

At Stack Overflow, we put all our macro defintions and fancy stuff at
the top of the file. The domains are later in the file.

We name the macros to be easy to understand for the user.  For
example, we have a few macros named `SPF_NONE`, `SPF_GSUITE`, and
`SPF_domain_tld` (where `domain_tld` is the name of a domain).  I bet
you can guess which to use for a new domain without seeing the
definition.

We also comment extensively.  Most records have a comment at the end
of the line with the ticket number of the request related to the
record.  Before each domain there is a long comment explaining why the
domain exists, who requested it, any associated ticket numbers, and so
on.

We also comment the individual parts of a record. Look at the [SPF
Optimizer]({{site.github.url}}/spf-optimizer) example.  Each part of
the SPF record has a comment.