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[HOW TO - vB4] Rendering templates and registering variables - a short guide
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cellarius
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cellarius cellarius is offline 11-15-2009, 10:00 PM
Introduction

Starting with vB4, templates no longer get output using eval:
PHP Code:
eval('$mytemplate = "' . fetch_template('mytemplate') . '";'); 
is outdated.
What's more: Variables and arrays from plugins that are executed on a page no longer can automatically be accessed in the templates of that page. They need to be registered first.
.
 Basic functionality to render templates and register all variables/arrays you want to use inside

PHP Code:
/* Some Code, setting variables, (multidimensional) array */
$my_var = "abc";
$my_array = array(
        'key1' => 'value1',
        'key2' => array(' 
                'key21' => 'value21',
                'key22' => 'value22'
        ')
    );

/* render template and register variables */
$templater = vB_Template::create('mytemplate');
    $templater->register('my_var', $my_var);
    $templater->register('my_array', $my_array);
$templater->render(); 
  • The first line provides the template that is to be rendered, using the new vB_Template class (vB_Template::create). The method gets passed the name of the template as an argument.
  • The following two lines register a variable and an array that we want to use in our template. Arguments passed are 1. the name you want to use to access the variable, and 2. the variable from the code you want to register. You can register as many variables/arrays as you want. Just remember you have to register every variable and array that you want to use in your custom template in this way. If you don't register them, they will not be available.
  • The fourth line renders the template ($templater->render()).
In the template you know will be able to use the registered variables/arrays in this way:
HTML Code:
{vb:raw my_var}
{vb:raw my_array.key1}
{vb:raw my_array.key2.key21}
Note the last one: multidimensional arrays are perfectly possible.
.
.
.
Now, with the result of the rendering we can do several things:
.
Output template directly - custom pages

PHP Code:
$templater = vB_Template::create('mytemplate');
    $templater->register_page_templates(); 
    $templater->register('my_var', $my_var);
    $templater->register('my_array', $my_array);
print_output($templater->render()); 
This immediatly outputs the template. Use this if you have created your own page, for example.
Note the second line, which is special for this type of use:
PHP Code:
$templater->register_page_templates(); 
This auto-registers the page level templates header, footer and headinclude that you will use in the template of your custom page.
.
Use a template hook

PHP Code:
$templater = vB_Template::create('mytemplate');
    $templater->register('my_var', $my_var);
    $templater->register('my_array', $my_array);
$template_hook[forumhome_wgo_pos2] .= $templater->render(); 
The template will be shown using the choosen template hook (for example: $template_hook[forumhome_wgo_pos2]). See the dot before the = in the last line? The hook may be used by other modifications, too, so we don't want to overwrite it, but rather append our code to it, conserving everything that might already be there.
.
Save into a variable for later use in custom template
PHP Code:
$templater = vB_Template::create('mytemplate');
    $templater->register('my_var', $my_var);
    $templater->register('my_array', $my_array);
$mytemplate_rendered = $templater->render(); 
Now we have saved the rendered template into a variable. This variable in turn we can later on register in another template, if we want:
PHP Code:
$templater = vB_Template::create('my_other_template');
     $templater->register('my_template_rendered', $my_template_rendered);
 print_output($templater->render()); 
Again, inside my_other_template we now could call
HTML Code:
{vb:raw my_template_rendered}
If you're running the first template call inside a loop, you may want to use .= instead of = in the last line, so that the results of every loop get added instead of overwriting the existing. But that depends, of course.
.
Save into an array and preregister to use in an existing/stock template
PHP Code:
$templater = vB_Template::create('mytemplate');
    $templater->register('my_var', $my_var);
    $templater->register('my_array', $my_array);
$templatevalues['my_insertvar'] = $templater->render();
vB_Template::preRegister('FORUMHOME', $templatevalues); 
  • This is another, more flexible method to save the rendered template into a variable for future use in an already existing template. In this example, we want to show our own rendered template on forumhome.
  • Problem is: We have no direct way to register variables for already existing templates like FORUMHOME. It's created and rendered in the files, and we don't want to mess there.
  • To help with this, a new method was created for vB_Template class, called preRegister. Using this, we can pass our data to FORUMHOME before it is rendered. Note that the data needs to be saved into an array ($templatevalues['my_insertvar']), a simple variable will throw an error. In the last line the array is preregistered; you need to pass as arguments 1. the name of the existing template and 2. the array that contains the data. Again, this can be done for as many arrays as needed.
  • Of course, the preRegister functionality can be used for any kind of variables or arrays, no matter whether you have saved a rendered template (like in our example) into it or it contains just a simple boolean true/false statement.
To access the data inside the template it was preregistered for use:
HTML Code:
{vb:raw my_insertvar}
Note: it is not {vb:raw templatevalues.my_insertvar}!

Essentially the same as what I put for preRegister would be the following two lines. They could replace the last two lines in the above php codebox:
PHP Code:
$my_insertvar = $templater->render();
vB_Template::preRegister('FORUMHOME',array('my_insertvar ' => $my_insertvar)); 
Of course you could add further pairs to that array if you need to preregister more than one variable.
.
.
Bonus track: ...whatever you do, cache your templates!

Now you know how to get your templates on screen - once you succeeded in doing that, make sure to do it in a fast and ressource saving manner: make use of vB's template cache. To see whether your templates are cached or not, activate debug mode by adding $config['Misc']['debug'] = true;to your config.php (don't ever use that on your live site!). Among the debug info is a list of all templates called, and non-cached templates will show up in red.

To cache your templates, add a plugin at hook cache_templates with the following code:
PHP Code:
// for a single template
$cache[] = 'mytemplate'; 

// for more than one templates in one step
$cache = array_merge((array)$cache,array(
    'mytemplate',
    'myothertemplate',
    'mythirdtemplate'
)); 
.
.
Hope this helps!
-cel

----
Addendum - There are now two blog posts on vb.com related to this topic:
http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/entry...in-4-templates
http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/entry...-4-based-files
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  #92  
Old 03-13-2010, 12:48 AM
grecostimpy grecostimpy is offline
 
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This is a great thread and I know I'm on the right track.

I am trying to add a custom profile field to the memberaction_dropdown template.

{vb:raw post.field5}

How would I register this to work in the memberaction_dropdown? It works on postbit (because I'm assuming it is registered)

Thanks again for a great write-up!
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  #93  
Old 03-13-2010, 05:24 AM
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princeedward princeedward is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cellarius View Post
$loggedin.action or $loggedin.where are not valid PHP variables. I do not think that this is just a registering problem. You should probably open your own thread in the forums and explain exactly what and how you are trying to do.
hmmm...if you dont mind mate lookin on this THREAD please...it might give you slight idea what i'm trying to do...and hope you can throw me some hint and help...

thanks anyway for your time mate to reply on this...

best regards...

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  #94  
Old 03-13-2010, 04:13 PM
gkaradagan gkaradagan is offline
 
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i want to do that some codes work in navbar template but same code dont work in header or navbar . for example how can i run vb:raw forum.title} in forumhome.lastpostinfo template ?
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  #95  
Old 03-18-2010, 01:16 AM
testbot testbot is offline
 
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i'm a little confused on how to get my loops into the templates.

how would i get mypage.php:
Code:
while ($result = $db->fetch_array($results)){
	$something .= $result['field1'];
	$something2 .= $result['field2'];
}
$templater->register('something ', $something );
to show all looped values in mytemplate:
Code:
<ul>
START TO DISPLAY LOOPED DATA
<li>
{vb:raw something}
</li>
END TO DISPLAY LOOPED DATA
</ul>
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  #96  
Old 03-29-2010, 04:42 PM
LaCN LaCN is offline
 
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I've been trying like crazy... We need more turorials...
  1. How do I get my variable $my_own_var in an existing template, like footer ?
  2. How do I get an existing variable from an existing template (like $navbits from the navbar template) in an existing template like footer ?



@ vB staff: RTFM should be WTFM
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  #97  
Old 03-29-2010, 09:19 PM
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masterross masterross is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LaCN View Post
I've been trying like crazy... We need more turorials...
  1. How do I get my variable $my_own_var in an existing template, like footer ?
use vB_Template::preRegister

Quote:
Originally Posted by LaCN View Post
  1. How do I get an existing variable from an existing template (like $navbits from the navbar template) in an existing template like footer ?


@ vB staff: RTFM should be WTFM
you should register again existing vars:

$templater->register('navbits', $navbits);
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  #98  
Old 03-31-2010, 12:08 PM
LaCN LaCN is offline
 
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Thanks a bunch for the reply

Quote:
Originally Posted by masterross View Post
use vB_Template::preRegister
Would this be needed to be doing in the hook location where it starts creating the footer ?
And in the case of the footer template, which has no hook-location, which hook location is best used ?

Quote:
Originally Posted by masterross View Post
you should register again existing vars:

$templater->register('navbits', $navbits);
If the creating of the template navbar was done before the footer, would I pre-register the $navbits using the the hook-location in the "navbits_complete" ?

And if the navbar template was built after the footer, in which hook-location would I need to pre-register the $navbits ?

Thanks !
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  #99  
Old 03-31-2010, 01:12 PM
derfelix derfelix is offline
 
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as far as I have seen, footer template is created at the moment any other template is done...

example:
if at the top of a file.. before you did any template stuff...
you do
PHP Code:
echo $footer; exit; 
you will get a blank page...
but if you do:
PHP Code:
$templater = vB_Template::create('anytemplate')->render();
echo $footer; exit; 
the footer template will show...
--> so just find a place before the first template is created...

Felix
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  #100  
Old 03-31-2010, 07:49 PM
pneo pneo is offline
 
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Please can somebody help, I just can't figure out what I'm doing wrong.

I'm trying to add to FORUMHOME and I can't get the basic example working.

I've created a new plugin (hook: forumhome_start) with the following PHP code:

PHP Code:
$my_var = 'abc';
$templater = vB_Template::create('mytemplate');
$templater->register('my_var', $my_var);
$templatevalues['my_insertvar'] = $templater->render();
vB_Template::preRegister('FORUMHOME', $templatevalues); 
I've then added the following to the FORUMHOME template:

PHP Code:
<p>{vb:raw my_insertvar}</p> 

Am I right in expecting <p>abc</p> to appear in my forum home page source? Because I just get empty <p></p>, i.e. the variable doesn't exist.

I've tried different hook locations. I also tested the forumhome_start location by adding an "echo 'abc'; in the plugin php, and as expected "abc" appears right at the top of my forum home source.

What am I doing wrong? :S



EDIT!:: Apologies, missed this post: https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showpost....1&postcount=72
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  #101  
Old 03-31-2010, 09:04 PM
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masterross masterross is offline
 
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As you wrote it you should use my_var first in template mytemplate.
Then when you use <p>{vb:raw my_insertvar}</p> in FORUMHOME all content from mytemplate will be appear.
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