SitePoint.com

HarryF · Jul 30, 2003, 02:38

Alright, following on from this thread and the discussion that's happening here, here's Simple Template (hopefully lastcraft will excuse my riding on the back of the Simple Test name but this really is pretty simple).

The ZIP attached has all the code - 90% is examples plus there's an extensive README.

Here's the simplest example of Simple Template is use;

The controller;

PHP Code:


<?php

// Include the config

//     - this defines a single constant switching caching on or off

require_once('simplet/config.php');



// Include the Awesome Template Engine classes

require_once('simplet/ViewHandler.php');

require_once('simplet/Binder.php');



// Setup PEAR::Cache_Lite

// See: [url]http://www.devshed.com/Server_Side/PHP/PHP_Cache_Lite/print_html[/url]

$cacheOptions = array(

    'cacheDir' => 'cache/',

);

$cache = & new Cache_Lite($cacheOptions);



// Create a ViewHandler for the template, passing it

// Cache_Lite, the name of the template file and a cache

// expiry time in seconds

$view = new ViewHandler($cache,'simple.php',10);



// If the view isn't cached, build it...

if ( !$view->isCached() ) {



    // Instantiate the Binder: this class "parses" the template

    $binder = new Binder();



    // Create the BindData object. This is a store for "Model" data

    // and it "bound" to the template by the Binder

    $model =& new BindData();



    // Add some simple "Model" data to BindData

    $model->title = 'A simple example';

    $model->message = 'Hello World!';

    $model->time = date ('H:i:s');



    // Pass the "View" object to the binder

    $binder->setView($view);



    // Pass the "Model" object to the binder

    $binder->setData($model);



    // Bind the "Model" to the "View"

    $binder->bind();



}



// Get the output from the View

$output = $view->toString();



// Output is only send to the browser here...

echo ( $output );

?>

The template;

PHP Code:


<html>

<head>

<title><?php echo ( $title ); ?></title>

</head>

<body>

<h1><?php echo ( $title ); ?></h1>

<p><?php echo ( $message ); ?></p>

<p>This page was cached at <?php echo ( $time ); ?> and expires within 10 seconds</p>

</body>

</html>

Yes that's real PHP in the template and IMO there's nothing wrong with that. The discipline in using Simple Template is to keep the templates purely to presentation logic - something that a web designer with a half day's intro to PHP should be able to manage. There's no security mechanism by which you can limit templates to particular functions etc. May consider looking at what SAFE MODE has to offer but really think it's not worth it.

Here's one more example of a template that has a loop in it;

PHP Code:


Dir time = <?php echo ( $time ); ?>

<?php

$alt = '#fff';

?>



<h1>Directory Listing</h1>

<table>



<?php

while ( $entry = $dir->fetch() ) {

    $alt == '#fff' ? $alt = 'silver' : $alt = '#fff';

?>



<tr style="background-color: <?php echo ( $alt ); ?>">

<td><?php echo ( $entry ); ?></td>

</tr>



<?php

}

?>

</table>

Anyway - hope that's interesting. I've tried to avoid creating a framework here but would be very interested to hear opinions from the point of view of using it.

pippo · Jul 30, 2003, 02:55

Harry,
what do you think to use an object $obj so you will have something like:

PHP Code:


<html>

<head>

<title><?php echo ( $obj->getTitle() ); ?></title>

...

Andrea

HarryF · Jul 30, 2003, 04:41

Quote:

what do you think to use an object $obj

Think that's fine - getTitle() is meant to be output to a user. Don't want to tie anyone to using a particular variable name though (e.g. $obj ) - for me $obj would something from the Model layer bound to the template.

nucleuz · Jul 30, 2003, 04:54

IMHO: that's the way to go with templating and PHP - KISS .
I've been doing the same as this for my last project ( not OO, but the same concept ) and as Harry says: given a brief intro to PHP anyone doing design should be able to do this fairly quickly!

lastcraft · Jul 30, 2003, 06:29

Hi.

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryF

hopefully lastcraft will excuse my riding on the back of the Simple Test name but this really is pretty simple

MarCus doesn't mind at all

. In fact I am kicking myself for choosing such a dumb name! Yours is much more appropriate.

yours, Marcus.

Dr Livingston · Jul 30, 2003, 07:35

HarryF - Thanks for sharing your scripts;

As to using objects in the Template this is exactly the idea I have myself, so you use getter's to get the data from an object passed from the MODEL.

I suppose there is no real way of avoiding the issue of having PHP in a Template other than using something like Smarty style tags which is an unnessacary overhead.

Myself, I suppose I just need to get used to this idea; either that or use my previous methods of an XML document and XSL stylesheet or use the DOM to dynamically create the page;

The first option is said to be slower and the second option is limited to the need to change the page structure for example; something a designer is unable to do

Umm... If only there was another option huh ?

Captain Proton · Jul 30, 2003, 07:38

You know what would make a template system like this perfect? If there were some sort of function in PHP that would enable safe mode for only one file. So the template engine could tell PHP that the template file can only use 'safe' PHP functions, such as foreach(), str_replace, etc and it would be banned from using functions such as exec().

marcoBR · Jul 30, 2003, 09:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by Captain Proton

You know what would make a template system like this perfect? If there were some sort of function in PHP that would enable safe mode for only one file. So the template engine could tell PHP that the template file can only use 'safe' PHP functions, such as foreach(), str_replace, etc and it would be banned from using functions such as exec().

I agree.

Mike Borozdin · Jul 30, 2003, 11:09

Franly speaking, I don't like it. I dislike such loops mixed up with HTML. I like phpBB template system with
 tags.

Captain Proton · Jul 30, 2003, 11:10

oh oh, there we go again.. :O

Mike Borozdin · Jul 30, 2003, 11:13

I put repeatting blocks to sepearetes files, the I open them befre going thorugh a loop, in the loop, I parse that file and show it or assign to some other variable.

Anyway, Happy Birthday To You, Harry!!!

ZangBunny · Jul 31, 2003, 01:48

We're using a modified AwesomeTemplateEngine on our project that has remarkable resemblance to your SimpleTemplate, so I thought I'd just share this little trick to keep the webdesigners happy:

To make the templates more readable, use PHP's "alternative" syntax for control structures. Your "Loop" example would then look like this:

PHP Code:


<?php 

while ( $entry = $dir->fetch() ) :

    $alt == '#fff' ? $alt = 'silver' : $alt = '#fff'; 

?> 

...

<?php 

endwhile;

?>

This makes it easier for non-PHPers that are used to matching tags, but not to matching braces.

On a side-note: I prefer the "<?=" syntax for readability. Most servers have the short_open_tags set to on anyway, and I don't find that setting it to off gives me any advantage, because I still can't use "<?xml" inline or my script will break when put on a server with short_open_tags on.

Taoism · Jul 31, 2003, 06:14

I prefer "<?=;?>" as well. As a matter of fact, every single embeded php "echo" type statement in all HTML code I have written at work uses the short syntax. It is simple, fast, and to the point ;p

I do however, disagree on using the alternative syntax instead of braces. But, that is what makes the world so great; we can disagree

Cheers,
Keith.

KnightE · Jul 31, 2003, 07:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by Taoism

I prefer "<?=;?>" as well. As a matter of fact, every single embeded php "echo" type statement in all HTML code I have written at work uses the short syntax. It is simple, fast, and to the point ;p

‘<?php echo ... ;?>' is safer and more reliable than'<?=...?>'(needn't ";")
especially in app with xml
also, depend on the php.ini config of host...

KnightE

marcoBR · Jul 31, 2003, 11:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by README

That's not to say if/else shouldn't
be used in a template but should rather be restricted to tasks which relate
only to the rendering of output (such as rendering a table with alternating
row colors).

It seems HarryF always claims for total separation of logic from presentation, http://www.sitepointforums.com/showp...8&postcount=19, but now I'm very confused about his contradiction.

Captain Proton · Jul 31, 2003, 11:27

Separation of logic from presentation is not the same as separating PHP code from HTML, we've discussed that I-dunno-how-many times on these forums..

ZangBunny · Jul 31, 2003, 11:38

I think the distinction someone made somewhere else is very useful here: We don't want to separate logic from presentation (impossible IMHO), but rather separate business logic from presentation logic.

HarryF · Jul 31, 2003, 16:01

Quote:

We don't want to separate logic from presentation (impossible IMHO), but rather separate business logic from presentation logic.

Spot on. This simple template system (btw - think I accidentally saved the full readme in the simplet subdirectory) helps make that seperation possible.

Quote:

It seems HarryF always claims for total separation of logic from presentation, http://www.sitepointforums.com/show...18&postcount=19, but now I'm very confused about his contradiction.

You caught me being careless with words. For that post prepend the word "business" before logic. ASP.NET-like templates have the main advantage of being almost like HTML and easy for a drag and drop GUI to edit, hence very nice for designers.

The point is, whether your presentation logic looks like;

PHP Code:


while ( $row = $result->fetch() ) {

?>

<tr>

  <td><?=$row['username']?></td>

  <td><?=$row['email']?></td>

</tr>

<?php

}

Or

PHP Code:


<!-- Start:Loop:result -->

<tr>

  <td><!-- row:username --></td>

  <td><!-- row:email --></td>

</tr>

<!-- End:Loop:result -->

<?php

}

Or

PHP Code:


{loop:result}

<tr>

  <td>{username}</td>

  <td>{email}</td>

</tr>

{/loop:result}

<?php

}

Or

PHP Code:


<repeater id="result" runat="server">

<tr>

  <td><label id="username" runat="server" /></td>

  <td><label id="email" runat="server" /></td>

</tr>

</repeater>

There's still logic in there but it should only be logic that deals with presentation (e.g. no db queries)

Taoism · Jul 31, 2003, 20:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by KnightE

‘<?php echo ... ;?>' is safer and more reliable than'<?=...?>'(needn't ";" )
especially in app with xml
also, depend on the php.ini config of host...

KnightE

More reliable? I haven't had it not work on me once

I have the luxury of coding PHP in a corporate environment, and since I am the senior php programmer, I get have quite a bit of input into how things are set up (for PHP at least)

Cheers,
Keith.

prefab · Aug 1, 2003, 00:56

I'd be interested in some opinions on my latest templating approach, inspired by http://simon.incutio.com/archive/200...pAndColdFusion , which in turn is inspired by the way ColdFusion CFML works.

It's based on pure XML templates (which is good, since it will force me to code XHTML compliant pages) and SAX parsing. I particularly focused on PEAR:DB_DataObject integration, as it offers a lot of interesting options to abstract the template tags. Next up is PEAR:DB raw SQL queries...

Also, apart from what is shown here, I won't mess with other logic constructs like if()/else() etc.

If anyone is interesting in developing this concept further don't hesitate to contact me...

- prefab

HTML Code:

<template id="test">
<doctype type="xhtml1strict" />
<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
<title>#title#</title>
</head>
<body>
<h1>#title#</h1>

include:<br/>
<include src="include.xml" parse="false" type="txt"/>
<hr/>

include(parsed):<br/>
<include src="include.xml" parse="true" type="txt" somevar="#title#" othervar="this is another variable"/>
<hr/>

ignore:<br/>
<ignore>ignore this text</ignore>
<hr/>

loop:<br/>
<loop sid="one" var="set"/>
<ul>
<output sid="one"><li>#_key_# :: #_val_#</li></output>
<else><li>no looping!</li></else>
</ul>
<hr/>

loop: (nested resultset)<br/>
<!-- #%# is a row counter, note #alternate# -->
<loop sid="one" var="nested"/>
<ul>
<output sid="one" alternate="red|black">
<li style="color: #alternate#">#%# :: #_key_# :: #name# :: #country#</li>
</output>
<else><li>no looping!</li></else>
</ul>
<hr/>

isset:<br/>
<isset var="title">this is the title : <i>#title#</i></isset>
<else><b>title not set</b></else>
<hr/>

PEAR:DB_DataObject:<br/>
<dataobject sid="obj" type="Rooms"/>
<output sid="obj">#nr# :: #description# :: #price#<br/></output>
<else>no room found..<br/></else>
<hr/>

PEAR:DB_DataObject:<br/>
<dataobject sid="obj" type="Rooms" price="60"/>
<output sid="obj">#nr# :: #pers# :: #description# :: #price#<br/></output>
<else>no room found..<br/></else>
<hr/>

PEAR:DB_DataObject:<br/>
<dataobject sid="obj" type="Rooms" where="price &lt;= 40" order="price ASC"/>
<output sid="obj">#nr# :: #pers# :: #description# :: #price#<br/></output>
<else>no room found..<br/></else>
<hr/>

PEAR:DB_DataObject:<br/>
<!-- note how the ID is assigned dynamicly from variable -->
<output sid="obj">#nr# :: #pers# :: #description# :: #price#<br/></output>
<else>no room found..<br/></else>
<hr/>

PEAR:DB_DataObject:<br/>
<!-- uses $_GET to supply filtering parameters 
(see PEAR:DB_DataObject:setFrom()) ex: script.php?price=40&pers=3 -->
<dataobject sid="obj" type="Rooms" scope="get"/>
<output sid="obj">
#nr# :: #pers# :: #description# :: #price#<br/>
</output>
<else>no room found..<br/></else>
<hr/>

PEAR:DB_DataObject:<br/>
<dataobject sid="obj" type="Rooms" scope="get"/>
<output sid="obj" alternate="red|black|white">
<span style="color: #alternate#">#nr# :: #pers# :: #description# :: #price#</span><br/>
</output>
<else>no room found..<br/></else>
<hr/>

</body>
</html>
</template>

Chris82 · Aug 1, 2003, 01:43

Harry, I preferred your approach to parse .Net files using phpHtmlLib.

I think, the discussion of wether to use PHP in the templates depends on the target audience of the script. Some People using a guestbook on their page are not so comfortable with php syntax and would prefer to use something like <%entry%> or some extended html syntax as prefab shows in his example. (Arguably, someone using the class should be able to handle this, but I would say that is not for the "masses".)

PHP Code:


<h1>Someone's Guestbook</h1>

<table>



<?php

while ( $entry = $dir->fetch() ) {

    $alt == '#fff' ? $alt = 'silver' : $alt = '#fff';

?>



<tr style="background-color: <?php echo ( $alt ); ?>">

<td><?php echo ( $entry ); ?></td>

</tr>



<?php

}

?>

</table>

I think that this would be a bit too difficult for someone who just wants to have a guestbook. HTML feels a bit more "natural" to many people.

@prefab: how do you parse your template file?

prefab · Aug 1, 2003, 02:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris82

@prefab: how do you parse your template file?

Parsing is simple, as the real magic happens in my 'cfm' class...

This is really a work in progress, as I just implemented alternating, and added the option to use $_GET or $_POST scope, while setting default parameters as atributes.

- prefab

like:

HTML Code:

<dataobject sid="obj" type="Rooms" where="price &gt; #min# AND price &lt;= #max#" order="#sorder# #sdir#"
scope="get" min="0" max="100" sorder="price" sdir="asc"/>

parsing with cfm:

PHP Code:


<?php



include('cfm.php');



$parser = &new cfm();



$parser->setVars(array(

    'title' => 'Entries', 

    'roomid' => (int)$_GET['room']

    );





$set = array('k'=>'v', 'test'=>'val', 'a'=>1, 'b'=>2);

$parser->setVar('set', $set);



$new['fab'] = array('name'=>'fabien', 'country'=>'nl');

$new['lthl'] = array('name'=>'l2gx', 'country'=>'be');

$parser->setVar('nested', $new);



echo $parser->parse(implode('', file('templates/cfm.xml')));



?>

Taoism · Aug 1, 2003, 06:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by prefab

I'd be interested in some opinions on my latest templating approach, inspired by http://simon.incutio.com/archive/200...pAndColdFusion , which in turn is inspired by the way ColdFusion CFML works.

LOL, one of the first things I did when I started my job a couple years ago was move as much development as possible away from CF. And now people are trying to make PHP look like CF, hehehe. To each their own I suppose. I just can't stand the way CF code looks... that's one reason I like PHP...it look like CODE, and not an HTML tag

Not running down what you are doing. If you like it, then good on ya, but it certainly isn't for me

Cheers,
Keith.

Taoism · Aug 1, 2003, 06:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris82

I think, the discussion of wether to use PHP in the templates depends on the target audience of the script. Some People using a guestbook on their page are not so comfortable with php syntax and would prefer to use something like <%entry%> or some extended html syntax as prefab shows in his example. (Arguably, someone using the class should be able to handle this, but I would say that is not for the "masses")

I would have to disagree with this to a certain extent. If people can learn HTML, and "special" tags like <%entry%>, then they should be intelligent enough to learn <?=$entry;?>...

C'est la vie, the great template debate continues.... Stay tuned for another episode of, "How the Template Parses!"

Cheers,
Keith.

Selkirk · Aug 2, 2003, 20:23

All the good ones are taken.

Simple Template

Jul 30, 2003, 02:55	#2
pippo FreeBSD The Power to Serve Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Italy Posts: 4,568	Harry, what do you think to use an object $obj so you will have something like: PHP Code: `<html> <head> <title><?php echo ( $obj->getTitle() ); ?></title> ...` Andrea __________________ Mr Andrea Former Hosting Team Advisor Former Advisor of '03

Jul 30, 2003, 04:54	#4
nucleuz SitePoint Zealot Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 191	IMHO: that's the way to go with templating and PHP - KISS . I've been doing the same as this for my last project ( not OO, but the same concept ) and as Harry says: given a brief intro to PHP anyone doing design should be able to do this fairly quickly! __________________ phpvolcano :: Blog :: wiki.cc/php :: wiki.cc/pecl :: wiki.cc/pear

Jul 30, 2003, 11:09	#9
Mike Borozdin SitePoint Wizard Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Edinburgh, UK Posts: 1,750	Franly speaking, I don't like it. I dislike such loops mixed up with HTML. I like phpBB template system with <!-- BEGIN BLOCK> and <!-- END BLOCK --> tags. __________________ Microsoft Student Partner My blog

Jul 30, 2003, 11:13	#11
Mike Borozdin SitePoint Wizard Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Edinburgh, UK Posts: 1,750	I put repeatting blocks to sepearetes files, the I open them befre going thorugh a loop, in the loop, I parse that file and show it or assign to some other variable. Anyway, Happy Birthday To You, Harry!!! __________________ Microsoft Student Partner My blog

Jul 31, 2003, 01:48	#12
ZangBunny SitePoint Zealot Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Mainz, Germany Posts: 122	Prettier Looping We're using a modified AwesomeTemplateEngine on our project that has remarkable resemblance to your SimpleTemplate, so I thought I'd just share this little trick to keep the webdesigners happy: To make the templates more readable, use PHP's "alternative" syntax for control structures. Your "Loop" example would then look like this: PHP Code: `<?php while ( $entry = $dir->fetch() ) : $alt == '#fff' ? $alt = 'silver' : $alt = '#fff'; ?> ... <?php endwhile; ?>` This makes it easier for non-PHPers that are used to matching tags, but not to matching braces. On a side-note: I prefer the "<?=" syntax for readability. Most servers have the short_open_tags set to on anyway, and I don't find that setting it to off gives me any advantage, because I still can't use "<?xml" inline or my script will break when put on a server with short_open_tags on.

Jul 30, 2003, 07:35	#6
Dr Livingston Non-Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 5,788	HarryF - Thanks for sharing your scripts; As to using objects in the Template this is exactly the idea I have myself, so you use getter's to get the data from an object passed from the MODEL. I suppose there is no real way of avoiding the issue of having PHP in a Template other than using something like Smarty style tags which is an unnessacary overhead. Myself, I suppose I just need to get used to this idea; either that or use my previous methods of an XML document and XSL stylesheet or use the DOM to dynamically create the page; The first option is said to be slower and the second option is limited to the need to change the page structure for example; something a designer is unable to do Umm... If only there was another option huh ?

Jul 30, 2003, 07:38	#7
Captain Proton SitePoint Guru Join Date: Oct 2001 Posts: 666	You know what would make a template system like this perfect? If there were some sort of function in PHP that would enable safe mode for only one file. So the template engine could tell PHP that the template file can only use 'safe' PHP functions, such as foreach(), str_replace, etc and it would be banned from using functions such as exec().

Jul 30, 2003, 11:10	#10
Captain Proton SitePoint Guru Join Date: Oct 2001 Posts: 666	oh oh, there we go again.. :O

Jul 31, 2003, 06:14	#13
Taoism SitePoint Addict Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Posts: 215	I prefer "<?=;?>" as well. As a matter of fact, every single embeded php "echo" type statement in all HTML code I have written at work uses the short syntax. It is simple, fast, and to the point ;p I do however, disagree on using the alternative syntax instead of braces. But, that is what makes the world so great; we can disagree Cheers, Keith.

Jul 31, 2003, 11:27	#16
Captain Proton SitePoint Guru Join Date: Oct 2001 Posts: 666	Separation of logic from presentation is not the same as separating PHP code from HTML, we've discussed that I-dunno-how-many times on these forums..

Jul 31, 2003, 11:38	#17
ZangBunny SitePoint Zealot Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Mainz, Germany Posts: 122	I think the distinction someone made somewhere else is very useful here: We don't want to separate logic from presentation (impossible IMHO), but rather separate business logic from presentation logic.

Aug 1, 2003, 01:43	#21
Chris82 SitePoint Wizard Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Osnabrück Posts: 1,003	Harry, I preferred your approach to parse .Net files using phpHtmlLib. I think, the discussion of wether to use PHP in the templates depends on the target audience of the script. Some People using a guestbook on their page are not so comfortable with php syntax and would prefer to use something like <%entry%> or some extended html syntax as prefab shows in his example. (Arguably, someone using the class should be able to handle this, but I would say that is not for the "masses".) PHP Code: `<h1>Someone's Guestbook</h1> <table> <?php while ( $entry = $dir->fetch() ) { $alt == '#fff' ? $alt = 'silver' : $alt = '#fff'; ?> <tr style="background-color: <?php echo ( $alt ); ?>"> <td><?php echo ( $entry ); ?></td> </tr> <?php } ?> </table>` I think that this would be a bit too difficult for someone who just wants to have a guestbook. HTML feels a bit more "natural" to many people. @prefab: how do you parse your template file?

Aug 2, 2003, 20:23	#25
Selkirk SitePoint Guru Join Date: Nov 2002 Posts: 846	All the good ones are taken. Simple Template __________________ Professional PHP Blog - twitter - about MVC

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