We don't have a PVC plumbing article in Pool School yet, maybe someday.
Yes, the pump likes to have about one foot of straight pipe leading into the inlet.
A few key issue with PVC plumbing include: Lay things out in advance as cleanly as possible so you can minimize the number of bends/fittings that you need. Figure out what order to do things in so that each connection has enough room or give in it so that you can actually get the pipe into the fitting. There is nothing worse than getting to the final joint only to discover that you can't pull it far enough apart to get the pipe into the fitting. And of course, measure twice, or three times, and cut once. Keep in mind that the pipe will fit more deeply into a fitting when it has glue on it than it does when you are dry fitting. Along the same lines, the glue can make the pipe try to jump out of the fitting, so hold tight for several seconds till the joint freezes up.