NAME
HTML::Template::Default - unless template file is on disk, use default hard coded
DESCRIPTION
I sometimes code implementations of CGI::Application for multiple client installations. I want to provide and use a default template for runmodes, and also allow the site admin to change the templates. This module allows me to do this, without requiring that tmpl files be in place, and if they are, those override the defaults.
Of course you don't have to use CGI::Application to find this module useful.
The files are sought in $ENV{HTML_TEMPLATE_PATH}, ( $ENV{TMPL_PATH} will deprecate )
SYNOPSIS
use HTML::Template::Default 'get_tmpl';
$ENV{HTML_TEMPLATE_PATH} = '/home/myself/public_html/templates';
my $default = '
<html>
<head>
<title><TMPL_VAR TITLE></title>
</head>
<body>
<h1><TMPL_VAR TITLE></h1>
<p><TMPL_VAR CONTENT></p>
</body>
</html>
';
# if super.tmpl exists, use it, if not, use my default
my $tmpl = get_tmpl('super.tmpl',\$default);
$tmpl->param( TITLE => 'Great Title' );
$tmpl->param( CONTENT => 'Super cool content is here.' );
# ...get_tmpl()
Takes two arguments. Returns HTML::Template object.
First is a path or filename to an HTML::Template file. If the path to template is not absolute (if it's just a filename, ie:'this.html') it will seek it inside $ENV{TEMPLATE_PATH}.
Second argument, optional, is a scalar with default code for the template. This is what allows a user to override the default look by simply creating a file inside the $ENV{HTML_TEMPLATE_PATH}.
Returns HTML::Template object. The HTML::Template object returned will have a die_on_bad_params set to 0.
(If you are creating a handler, you can use get_tmpl() to provide a default template to feed stuff into. This also allows user to place a template of their own in the $ENV{HTML_TEMPLATE_PATH} directory.)
Example 1
In the following example, if main.html does not exist in $ENV{HTML_TEMPLATE_PATH}, the '$default' code provided is used as the template.
my $default = "<html>
<head>
<title>Hi.</title>
</head>
<body>
<TMPL_VAR BODY>
</body>
</html>";
my $tmpl = get_tmpl('main.html',$default);To override that template, one would create the file main.html in $ENV{HTML_TEMPLATE_PATH}. The perl code need not change. This merely lets you provide a default, optionally.
Again, if main.html is not in $ENV{HTML_TEMPLATE_PATH}, it will use default string provided- if no default string provided, and filename is not found, croaks.
Example 2
In the following example, the template file 'awesome.html' must exist in $ENV{HTML_TEMPLATE_PATH}. Or the application croaks. Because no default is provided.
my $tmpl = get_tmpl('awesome.html');DEBUG
To set debug:
$HTML::Template::Default::DEBUG = 1;Gives useful info like if we got from disk or default provided etc to STDERR.
AUTHOR
Leo Charre leocharre at cpan dot org