Hakana: Taking Hack Seriously

TL; DR: We’re announcing a new open source type checker for Hack, called Hakana. Slack launched in 2014, built with a lot of love and also a lot of PHP code. We started migrating to a different language called Hack in 2016. Hack was created by Facebook after they had struggled to scale their operations…

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Slack
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Matt Brown
•8 min read•beginner•
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•View Original
ChefHTMLJavaScriptPHPRustSQLTypeScript

Overview

The article discusses Hakana, an open-source type checker for Hack, developed by Slack to enhance code quality and security. It highlights the evolution from PHP to Hack, the features of Hakana, and its integration into Slack's development workflow.

What You'll Learn

1

How to implement Hakana for static analysis in Hack codebases

2

Why using a type checker can enhance code security and quality

3

How to automate type-aware API migrations using Hakana

Prerequisites & Requirements

  • Understanding of Hack programming language and its type system
  • Familiarity with CI/CD tools for integrating Hakana(optional)

Key Questions Answered

What is Hakana and how does it improve Hack development?
Hakana is an open-source type checker for Hack that enhances code quality by preventing issues like unused functions and potential security vulnerabilities. It integrates seamlessly into CI processes, helping developers maintain high standards in their codebases.
How does Hakana contribute to security in Hack applications?
Hakana includes security analysis features that help identify vulnerabilities such as SQL injection and cross-site scripting. By analyzing data flow between functions, it ensures that potentially dangerous data does not reach sensitive areas of the application.
What performance improvements does Hakana offer over traditional PHP tools?
Hakana, written in Rust, runs approximately 5 times faster than the PHP-based static analysis tools it was modeled after. This speed is crucial for analyzing large codebases like Slack's, which consists of millions of lines of code.

Key Statistics & Figures

Performance improvement
5x faster
Hakana runs about 5 times faster than the PHP-based tools it was modeled after.
Codebase size
5 million lines of code
Hakana is designed to analyze Slack's codebase, which consists of approximately 5 million lines of code.

Technologies & Tools

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Programming Language
Hack
Hack is the language for which Hakana is developed, providing enhanced type safety over PHP.
Programming Language
Rust
Hakana is written in Rust, allowing it to run efficiently and quickly.
Static Analysis Tool
Psalm
Hakana is based on Psalm, a PHP static analysis tool, which informs its design and functionality.

Key Actionable Insights

1
Integrate Hakana into your CI pipeline to enforce code quality standards.
By running Hakana during continuous integration, teams can catch issues early in the development process, reducing the risk of deploying faulty code.
2
Utilize Hakana's security analysis features to proactively identify vulnerabilities.
Incorporating security checks into the development workflow helps ensure that applications are not only functional but also secure against common threats.
3
Consider contributing to the Hakana project to enhance its capabilities.
As an open-source tool, contributions can help improve its functionality and adapt it to various use cases, benefiting the broader development community.

Common Pitfalls

1
Neglecting to integrate static analysis tools like Hakana into the development process.
Without these tools, developers may overlook critical issues that could lead to security vulnerabilities or code inefficiencies.

Related Concepts

Static Analysis
Type Safety In Programming
Security Vulnerabilities In Web Applications