1HTML::Template::FAQ(3)User Contributed Perl DocumentationHTML::Template::FAQ(3)
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6 HTML::Template::FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions about HTML::Template
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9 In the interest of greater understanding I've started a FAQ section of
10 the perldocs. Please look in here before you send me email.
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13 Is there a place to go to discuss HTML::Template and/or get help?
14 There's a mailing-list for discussing HTML::Template at
15 html-template-users@lists.sourceforge.net. Join at:
16 http://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/html-template-users
18 If you just want to get email when new releases are available you can
20 join the announcements mailing-list here:
21 http://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/html-template-announce
23 Is there a searchable archive for the mailing-list?
25 Yes, you can find an archive of the SourceForge list here:
26 http://dir.gmane.org/gmane.comp.lang.perl.modules.html-template
28 I want support for <TMPL_XXX>! How about it?
30 Maybe. I definitely encourage people to discuss their ideas for
31 HTML::Template on the mailing list. Please be ready to explain to me
32 how the new tag fits in with HTML::Template's mission to provide a
33 fast, lightweight system for using HTML templates.
34 NOTE: Offering to program said addition and provide it in the form of a
36 patch to the most recent version of HTML::Template will definitely have
37 a softening effect on potential opponents!
38 I found a bug, can you fix it?
40 That depends. Did you send me the VERSION of HTML::Template, a test
41 script and a test template? If so, then almost certainly.
42 If you're feeling really adventurous, HTML::Template is publicly
44 available on GitHub (https://github.com/mpeters/html-template). Please
45 feel free to fork it and send me a pull request with any changes you
46 have.
47 <TMPL_VAR>s from the main template aren't working inside a <TMPL_LOOP>!
49 Why?
50 This is the intended behavior. "<TMPL_LOOP>" introduces a separate
51 scope for "<TMPL_VAR>s" much like a subroutine call in Perl introduces
52 a separate scope for "my" variables.
53 If you want your "<TMPL_VAR>"s to be global you can set the
55 "global_vars" option when you call "new()". See above for documentation
56 of the "global_vars" "new()" option.
57 How can I pre-load my templates using cache-mode and mod_perl?
59 Add something like this to your startup.pl:
60 use HTML::Template;
62 use File::Find;
63 print STDERR "Pre-loading HTML Templates...\n";
65 find(
66 sub {
67 return unless /\.tmpl$/;
68 HTML::Template->new(
69 filename => "$File::Find::dir/$_",
70 cache => 1,
71 );
72 },
73 '/path/to/templates',
74 '/another/path/to/templates/'
75 );
76 Note that you'll need to modify the "return unless" line to specify the
78 extension you use for your template files - I use .tmpl, as you can
79 see. You'll also need to specify the path to your template files.
80 One potential problem: the /path/to/templates/ must be EXACTLY the same
82 path you use when you call "HTML::Template->new()". Otherwise the cache
83 won't know they're the same file and will load a new copy - instead
84 getting a speed increase, you'll double your memory usage. To find out
85 if this is happening set "cache_debug =" 1> in your application code
86 and look for "CACHE MISS" messages in the logs.
87 What characters are allowed in TMPL_* names?
89 Numbers, letters, '.', '/', '+', '-' and '_'.
90 How can I execute a program from inside my template?
92 Short answer: you can't. Longer answer: you shouldn't since this
93 violates the fundamental concept behind HTML::Template - that design
94 and code should be separate.
95 But, inevitably some people still want to do it. If that describes you
97 then you should take a look at HTML::Template::Expr. Using
98 HTML::Template::Expr it should be easy to write a "run_program()"
99 function. Then you can do awful stuff like:
100 <tmpl_var expr="run_program('foo.pl')">
102 Just, please, don't tell me about it. I'm feeling guilty enough just
104 for writing HTML::Template::Expr in the first place.
105 What's the best way to create a <select> form element using HTML::Template?
107 There is much disagreement on this issue. My personal preference is to
108 use CGI.pm's excellent "popup_menu()" and "scrolling_list()" functions
109 to fill in a single "<tmpl_var select_foo>" variable.
110 To some people this smacks of mixing HTML and code in a way that they
112 hoped HTML::Template would help them avoid. To them I'd say that HTML
113 is a violation of the principle of separating design from programming.
114 There's no clear separation between the programmatic elements of the
115 "<form>" tags and the layout of the "<form>" tags. You'll have to draw
116 the line somewhere - clearly the designer can't be entirely in charge
117 of form creation.
118 It's a balancing act and you have to weigh the pros and cons on each
120 side. It is certainly possible to produce a "<select>" element entirely
121 inside the template. What you end up with is a rat's nest of loops and
122 conditionals. Alternately you can give up a certain amount of
123 flexibility in return for vastly simplifying your templates. I
124 generally choose the latter.
125 Another option is to investigate HTML::FillInForm which some have
127 reported success using to solve this problem.
128perl v5.32.0 2020-07-28 HTML::Template::FAQ(3)