HTML_Template_Flexy started it's life as a simplification of HTML_Template_Xipe, however in Version 0.2, It became one of the first template engines to use a real Lexer, rather than regex'es, making it possible to do things like ASP.net or Cold Fusion tags. However, it still has a very simple set of goals.
Very Simple API, easy to learn...
Targeted at Object based systems - default behavior is to display object variables
Designed to allow the documentation of available variables using PEAR standards, eg. PHPDoc comments around object variables
Ability to edit the templates in WYSIWYG HTML editors, without breaking the tags
Fast and Easy to do looping (or blocks), both for designing and runtime
How does HTML_Template_Flexy differ from other template systems
If you look around you will see there are other template systems available in PHP, they generally fall into two categories, Replacement Systems, or PHP Code builders.
Replacement systems like HTML_Template_IT, FastTemplate, PhpLib Template tend to be slower at doing block and nested block type templates and involve alot of code to add each variable to the template.
Php Code builders like Flexy, Smarty, SimpleTemplate (now HTML_Template_Xipe) tend better at more complex templates, and can offer a better approach to extendability.
With Version 0.2, and the introduction of a full Lexer, Flexy offers unique HTML integration with it's foreach,if attributes and the ability to replace HTML Forms with standard PHP code.
Typical use example
Flexy template is normally called from within a Controller Class (in the Model,View,Controller paragam). You just send HTML_Template_Flexy, the name of the template, and the object to output. - any variable you want printing out just has to be set in the object being used to ouput.
<?php /* configure the application - probably done elsewhere */ require_once 'HTML/Template/Flexy.php'; $options = &PEAR::getStaticProperty('HTML_Template_Flexy','options'); $config = parse_ini_file('example.ini',TRUE); $options = $config['HTML_Template_Flexy']; /* the page controller class */ class controller_test { var $template = "home.html"; // name of template var $title; // this relates to {title}; var $numbers = array(); // this relates to {numbers} , used with foreach var $anObject; var $element = array(); // this is where the elements are stored /* start section - deals with posts, get variables etc.*/ function controller_test() { $this->start(); $this->output(); } function start() { // the title $this->title = "Hello World"; // store an object. $this->anObject = new StdClass; // assign a value to a member. $this->anObject->member = 'Object Member'; // create an HTML Element for the form element. $this->elements['input'] = new HTML_Template_Flexy_Element; // assign a value to it $this->elements['input']->setValue('Hello'); for ($i = 1;$i< 5;$i++) { $this->numbers[$i] = "Number $i"; } } /* output section - probably best to put this in the default_controller class */ function output() { $output = new HTML_Template_Flexy(); $output->compile($this->template); $output->outputObject($this,$this->elements); } function someMethod() { echo "<B>Hello From A Method</B>"; } } /* the page controller instantaation - probably done with a factory method in your master page controller class */ new controller_test; ?>
<html> <head> <title>{title}</title> </head> <body> <H1>{title}</H1> <form name="form"> <table> <tr> <td> <?php /* this will be merged with the date in the $element['input'] object*/ ?> Input Box: <input name="input"> </td> </tr> <?php /* note here the use for flexy:foreach as an attribute value */ ?> <tr flexy:foreach="numbers,number,string"> <td> <?php /* note here the use for flexy:foreach as an attribute value */ ?> <a href="mypage.html?id=%7Bnumber%7D">{string}</a> </td> </tr> </table> <?php /* there is some limited support for array access */ ?> this is number 2 : {numbers[2]} <?php /* note that full stops seperate object and variables or methods */ ?> This is a {anObject.member} <?php /* you can call methods of the object */ ?> {someMethod()} <?php /* by default everything is htmlspecialchar escaped use the modifier :h to prevent this. */ ?> {someMethod():h} </body> </html> <?php /* I've used php for comments here as HTML comments didnt work when generating the manual .. - you dont have to use them - it has nothing to do with the template engine */ ?>
Hello World Input Box : [Hello ] Number 1 Number 2 Number 3 Number 4 this is number 2 : Number 2 This is a member Variable <B>Hello From A Method</B> Hello From A Method
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