Magento 2 - Can you replace any observer with plugin?

Question

I am using a observer for the event sales_order_place_before.

It does not work as expected, so I try to replace it with a plugin to see if it does make a difference.

The event sales_order_place_before is dispatched here:

vendor\magento\module-sales\Model\Order.php

public function place()
{
    $this->_eventManager->dispatch('sales_order_place_before', ['order' => $this]);
    $this->_placePayment();
    $this->_eventManager->dispatch('sales_order_place_after', ['order' => $this]);
    return $this;
}

As you can see the parameter "order" is passed to the observer.

How can I access the order parameter from a plugin? Is it even possible?

---

I tried the code from @Amit Bera:

public function  beforePlace(\Magento\Sales\Model\Order $order)
{
    $writer = new \Zend\Log\Writer\Stream(BP . '/var/log/zend_debug.log');
    $logger = new \Zend\Log\Logger();
    $logger->addWriter($writer);

    $logger->info("Hello from beforePlace plugin!");
    $logger->info("Order ID:");
    $logger->info($order->getId());
}

Output:

> 1: Hello from beforePlace plugin! 
> 2: Order ID: 
> 3:

Line 3 is empty

Answer 1

Try the following way:

di.xml

<type name="Magento\Sales\Model\Service\OrderService">
    <plugin name="orderservice_place_order_plugin" type="VendorName\ModuleName\Plugin\OrderService"/>
</type>

app/code/VendorName/ModuleName/Plugin/OrderService.php

public function afterPlace(
    \Magento\Sales\Model\Service\OrderService $subject,
    $result
) {

    return $result;
}

Answer 2

You can get order object to after, before,around Plugin.

If you check plugin concept the then you can see the first param of the plugin obviously current class/interface object, So you can get order info easily on plugin like event & observer

Let me explain, Suppose, you have defined before plugin on place() function

then before the plugin look like

    public function  beforePlace(\Magento\Sales\Model\Order $subject)
    {
      $order = $subject;
...
    } 

For your case, place() method does not call that why sales_order_place_before event does not fire.