Hey Barry! > I used to use HTML::Template for projects, but I moved to > Template::Toolkit because I felt the former's syntax was just too > limited. I know we want to separate code and logic, but H::T > keeps me > from even referencing the attribute of an object. You can't say > > <TMPL_VAR NAME="user.name"> > > and pass in a user object with the attribute (method) or even > a hash key called name.
Of course you can do this, but not in exactly that way. There are three tasks which have to be completed to perform the operation you describe: 1. Get object 2. Get object attribute 3. Display attribute Imagine two lists of responsibilities: one for the programmer and one for the HTML designer. In the scheme you describe you've allocated the responsibility as follows: Programmer: Get object HTML Designer: Get object attribute, Display attribute With HTML::Template the responsibilities are exactly the same -- it's just the allocation which is different: Programmer: Get object, Get object attribute HTML Designer: Display attribute This is no more than a philosophical difference. HTML::Template assumes HTML designers should never do programming tasks, and implements this philosophy by not opening the "code floodgate" at all. TT believes that there is some amount of code you want your designer to do. TT hopes that you will limit your use of these capabilities to "simple" things (such as retrieval of an object attribute). Unfortunately, the floodgate is opened and allocation of responsibility is completely arbitrary. TT users can (and do) allocate responsibilities like this: Programmer: ??? HTML Designer: Get object, Get object attribute, Display attribute The programmer doesn't seem to have anything to do anymore. "That's great," says the client, "programmers are really expensive!" Of course, that "HTML Designer" is not really an HTML Designer anymore: HTML Designer/Programmer: Do it all. If you have access to a lot of people who are expert designers and programmers, that's great. Let me know where you find them! I've been looking for years. ;-) TTYL, -Jesse- -- Jesse Erlbaum The Erlbaum Group [EMAIL PROTECTED] Phone: 212-684-6161 Fax: 212-684-6226
