---
title: "CodeOverConfiguration"
type: concept
tags: [cms, development, best-practices]
last_updated: 2026-05-01
---

## Definition

CodeOverConfiguration is a CMS development principle requiring that all structural changes — custom post types, taxonomies, fields, blocks, and behavioral settings — be registered in code rather than created through the admin UI. Configuration that affects behavior is also stored in code (not the database).

## Core Principle

> "Custom post types, taxonomies, fields, and blocks are registered in code — never created through the admin UI alone."

## WordPress Application

| What | Where to register |
|------|-------------------|
| Custom post types | `functions.php` → `register_post_type()` |
| Custom taxonomies | `functions.php` → `register_taxonomy()` |
| ACF field groups | `acf-json/` directory (synced) |
| ACF blocks | `functions.php` → `acf_register_block_type()` |
| Gutenberg blocks | `block.json` + JS registration |
| Theme settings | `wp-config.php` or `functions.php` |

### Example: Post type in code

```php
add_action( 'init', function () {
    register_post_type( 'case_study', [
        'public'        => true,
        'show_in_rest'  => true,
        'supports'      => [ 'title', 'editor', 'thumbnail', 'excerpt' ],
    ] );
} );
```

## Drupal Application

| What | Where to store |
|------|---------------|
| Content types | YAML config export (`drush cex`) |
| Field definitions | YAML config in `config/install/` |
| Custom modules | PHP code + YAML routing/permissions |
| Blocks | PHP attribute-based plugins (Drupal 10+) |
| Views | YAML config export |

## Why It Matters

- **Version control**: All structural changes are tracked in Git
- **Reproducibility**: A fresh environment gets the same structure from a deploy script
- **Team consistency**: No one accidentally changes a field label in production
- **Deployment safety**: Config changes go through CI/CD, not manual admin actions

## Anti-patterns

- ❌ Creating post types via the WordPress admin UI without code equivalent
- ❌ Storing CMS settings that affect behavior in the database instead of code
- ❌ Modifying contrib module/theme files directly instead of using hooks/overrides

## Related Concepts

- [[ContentModel-first]] — the companion principle: define the model first, then implement
- [[GitWorkflow]] — version control makes code-as-config viable
- [[WordPress]] — WordPress-specific code registration patterns
- [[Drupal]] — Drupal-specific YAML configuration export workflow

## Sources
- [[engineering-cms-developer]]