Client: php[architect]

Title: WordPress Development in Depth by Peter MacIntyre and Sávio Resende

Excerpt:

“This is an issue within the underlying language of PHP; when it encounters a call to a function with an already used name, it comes to a complete halt and emits a fatal error. For example, if your plugin was named ‘Plugin Services Manager,’ prefix your save to database function with psm_. Your function’s full name would then be: psm_save_to_db().

This advice goes back to rule two. You could copy well-tested code from a previously developed plugin and therefore be in self-conflict. Although it may not seem efficient to have potentially duplicated code, it is best, in the long run, to be as separated and ensconced as possible with your plugin code. If you find that you use the same functions across plugins, consider making a “base” plugin that your other plugins depend on.”