phpman > perldoc > HTML::Template::FAQ

NAME
    HTML::Template::FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions about HTML::Template

SYNOPSIS
    In the interest of greater understanding I've started a FAQ section of the perldocs. Please look
    in here before you send me email.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
  Is there a place to go to discuss HTML::Template and/or get help?
    There's a mailing-list for discussing HTML::Template at
    html-template-users AT lists.net. Join at:

       http://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/html-template-users

    If you just want to get email when new releases are available you can join the announcements
    mailing-list here:

        http://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/html-template-announce

  Is there a searchable archive for the mailing-list?
    Yes, you can find an archive of the SourceForge list here:

        http://dir.gmane.org/gmane.comp.lang.perl.modules.html-template

  I want support for <TMPL_XXX>! How about it?
    Maybe. I definitely encourage people to discuss their ideas for HTML::Template on the mailing
    list. Please be ready to explain to me how the new tag fits in with HTML::Template's mission to
    provide a fast, lightweight system for using HTML templates.

    NOTE: Offering to program said addition and provide it in the form of a patch to the most recent
    version of HTML::Template will definitely have a softening effect on potential opponents!

  I found a bug, can you fix it?
    That depends. Did you send me the VERSION of HTML::Template, a test script and a test template?
    If so, then almost certainly.

    If you're feeling really adventurous, HTML::Template is publicly available on GitHub
    (https://github.com/mpeters/html-template). Please feel free to fork it and send me a pull
    request with any changes you have.

  <TMPL_VAR>s from the main template aren't working inside a <TMPL_LOOP>! Why?
    This is the intended behavior. "<TMPL_LOOP>" introduces a separate scope for "<TMPL_VAR>s" much
    like a subroutine call in Perl introduces a separate scope for "my" variables.

    If you want your "<TMPL_VAR>"s to be global you can set the "global_vars" option when you call
    "new()". See above for documentation of the "global_vars" "new()" option.

  How can I pre-load my templates using cache-mode and mod_perl?
    Add something like this to your startup.pl:

        use HTML::Template;
        use File::Find;

        print STDERR "Pre-loading HTML Templates...\n";
        find(
            sub {
                return unless /\.tmpl$/;
                HTML::Template->new(
                    filename => "$File::Find::dir/$_",
                    cache    => 1,
                );
            },
            '/path/to/templates',
            '/another/path/to/templates/'
        );

    Note that you'll need to modify the "return unless" line to specify the extension you use for
    your template files - I use .tmpl, as you can see. You'll also need to specify the path to your
    template files.

    One potential problem: the /path/to/templates/ must be EXACTLY the same path you use when you
    call "HTML::Template->new()". Otherwise the cache won't know they're the same file and will load
    a new copy - instead getting a speed increase, you'll double your memory usage. To find out if
    this is happening set "cache_debug =" 1> in your application code and look for "CACHE MISS"
    messages in the logs.

  What characters are allowed in TMPL_* names?
    Numbers, letters, '.', '/', '+', '-' and '_'.

  How can I execute a program from inside my template?
    Short answer: you can't. Longer answer: you shouldn't since this violates the fundamental
    concept behind HTML::Template - that design and code should be separate.

    But, inevitably some people still want to do it. If that describes you then you should take a
    look at HTML::Template::Expr. Using HTML::Template::Expr it should be easy to write a
    "run_program()" function. Then you can do awful stuff like:

        <tmpl_var expr="run_program('foo.pl')">

    Just, please, don't tell me about it. I'm feeling guilty enough just for writing
    HTML::Template::Expr in the first place.

  What's the best way to create a <select> form element using HTML::Template?
    There is much disagreement on this issue. My personal preference is to use CGI.pm's excellent
    "popup_menu()" and "scrolling_list()" functions to fill in a single "<tmpl_var select_foo>"
    variable.

    To some people this smacks of mixing HTML and code in a way that they hoped HTML::Template would
    help them avoid. To them I'd say that HTML is a violation of the principle of separating design
    from programming. There's no clear separation between the programmatic elements of the "<form>"
    tags and the layout of the "<form>" tags. You'll have to draw the line somewhere - clearly the
    designer can't be entirely in charge of form creation.

    It's a balancing act and you have to weigh the pros and cons on each side. It is certainly
    possible to produce a "<select>" element entirely inside the template. What you end up with is a
    rat's nest of loops and conditionals. Alternately you can give up a certain amount of
    flexibility in return for vastly simplifying your templates. I generally choose the latter.

    Another option is to investigate HTML::FillInForm which some have reported success using to
    solve this problem.