The purpose of this tutorial is to show you how to implement a simple class to handle page templates.
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Simple PHP Template Class
The purpose of this tutorial is to show you how to implement a
simple class to handle page templates. It can be extended in any way you
wish.
The Class (template.class.php)
<?
class Template {
public $template;
function load($filepath) {
$this->template = file_get_contents($filepath);
}
function replace($var, $content) {
$this->template = str_replace("#$var#", $content, $this->template);
}
function publish() {
eval("?>".$this->template."<?");
}
}
?>
The Template File (design.html)
This file will contain the design of your web site and the
blank fields that will be merged with content data.
<html>
<head>
<title>#title#</title>
</head>
<body>
<h3>Hello #name#!</h3>
<p>The time is: #datetime#</p>
<? echo "<p>Embedded PHP works too!</p>"; ?>
</body>
</html>
Usage (index.php)
Now we will create a script that load the template and use the
class to merge the data.
<?
include "template.class.php";
$template = new Template;
$template->load("design.html");
$template->replace("title", "My Template Class");
$template->replace("name", "William");
$template->replace("datetime", date("m/d/y"));
$template->publish();
?>
When you run the above script, index.php, it will output the
following:
<html>
<head>
<title>My Template Class</title>
</head>
<body>
<h3>Hello William!</h3>
<p>The time is: 03/10/04</p>
<p>Embedded PHP works too!</p>
</body>
</html>
This code, as you can see, is very simple. It supports
embedding PHP into the original template file (design.html). You could
easily extend it to pull data from a database such as MySQL.
it's because the code is in php5. and i assume you use php4.x which does not support public/private types. By the way, there are ready to use template systems like this, "smarty" for example. (If this comment was disrespectful, please report it.)
Yes, but Smarty is so bloated. I just wanted something simple to merge a page with variables. Smarty is a lot of code to do that, and I've had problems with Smarty's unusual way of caching the design, particularly when I move web hosts. Sometimes the directory will become unreadable and I have to delete it to have it create another. (If this comment was disrespectful, please report it.)
I just wanted to say ...... many thanks for this simple templating system. It was short , simple (If this comment was disrespectful, please report it.)
Thank You Very Much! Simple and to the point and just what I needed! Greatly Appreciated! Also I had to change "public" to "var" as well. (If this comment was disrespectful, please report it.)
That is the BEST and SIMPLEST explaination of template driven PHP code that I have ever read anywhere! I have also read some of your other posts on planet source code and they all Rock! (Specially the JSP / MySQL Tutorial)
Keep up the good work my friend, and thanks again. :D
Pete
(If this comment was disrespectful, please report it.)
10/4/2005 10:32:20 AM:
Brilliant code. I'm trying to understand the simplicity behind the line: eval("?>".$this->template." (If this comment was disrespectful, please report it.)
There is a litle securoty problem.
HTML:
PHP:
$template->replace("uname", $_POST['user']);
The user suplyed code will be evaluated.
Change # to something more uncommon like {#}
Add this
function clear() {
$this->template = preg_replace('[{#}(.*){#}]', "", $this->template);
}
and call before publish, it will remove all the unused variables.
Peace, GF
(If this comment was disrespectful, please report it.)
Fantastic post. Here’s a tool that lets your build your online database without programming. There is no need to hand code PHP. Cut your development time by 90% http://www.caspio.com/ (If this comment was disrespectful, please report it.)
very useful tutorial for me. I am trying on modifying the code to display some looping row of data. The problem is that I still can't find a way to grab the html content between a particular container, (in this context, I use html comment and to contain the looping section), and then replace the contained part with rows of data. Is it possible to make? Really need your assistance and thank you for writing the article :D (If this comment was disrespectful, please report it.)
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By 18 Users
7/29/2004 10:44:39 PM: 
