Independent Items Update: V1.04!

Revisiting Old Code with New Eyes

Almost two years ago, I wrote the first version of my independent item plugin. At the time, I was still finding my footing as a plugin developer — my code worked, but it leaned heavily on global scope, nested helpers, and inventory searches that weren’t always reliable. It solved the problem, but it wasn’t elegant.

Coming back to it now, with two years of growth and experience, I immediately saw opportunities to improve. My skills have changed drastically: I’m more comfortable with encapsulation, cleaner APIs, and writing code that anticipates edge cases instead of patching them after the fact.

What Changed

• Encapsulation: I wrapped the entire plugin in an immediately invoked function expression (IIFE). This isolates scope, prevents global leakage, and makes the plugin safer to use alongside others.
• Deterministic conversion: I fixed gainIndependentItem function so it returns the newly created object. Instead of scanning the party inventory to guess which item was created, I can now equip the exact instance immediately.
• Cleaner startup logic: With the return value available, the startup conversion loop is straightforward: detect base items with <independentItem>, call gainIndependentItem, and equip the returned object.

Reflection

Looking back, it’s clear how much my approach to plugin development has matured. Two years ago, I was focused on “making it work.” Today, I’m focused on making it maintainable, predictable, and developer‑friendly. This refactor isn’t just about fixing a bug — it’s about rewriting old code with the standards I hold myself to now.

It’s satisfying to see how far I’ve come. Revisiting old projects is humbling, but it’s also a reminder that growth is constant. The plugin is stronger now, and so am I as a developer.

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