[geeklog-devel] Request: Template Class Enhancement

[Tony Bibbs]

On Thu, 20 Mar 2003, LIMBURG, Mark wrote:

> Seriously, I can't disagree more.  Templates control the display of content,
> and if that means your theme is designed to display a single news report,
> then it is.  If the template needs to display a different block of html  if
> there is no right block (seriously, my biggest bitch as a designer), we're
> pretty much screwed UNLESS we alter the code .. which defeats the point of
> templates in the first place.

You'll have to give an example.  Nothing you have mentioned here seems 
like a problem with the current system.  I think all you are getting at is 
you don't like the current system (which you've stated a number of times 
already).  The 'alter code' argument holds no water IMHO.  What you are 
saying is to avoid changing PHP logic, instead add logic to the template.  
That seems flat out wrong to me.  If the requirements for display for a 
specific page have changed, it is OK to alter the PHP to use templates 
differently to meet those requirements.  You are right, we don't agree at 
all which isn't bad, necessarily.

> You don't NEED to use them.  They're there if you WISH to use them.

If you are going to go that route, we should just go back to PHP-based 
html embedded in functions that know about substitution variables.  Mixing 
logic and HTML is bad...period.

As I said, I think the PEAR template stuff may support this.  My opinion, 
however, is we not use that if we can get away with it.  This only 
complicates the HTML for people aren't programmings.  Case and point, I'm 
working on a web-based theme editor so that GL admins can tweak their 
layouts without needed shell access.  Adding a bunch of logic to templates 
will simply confuse some of the very people this tool is intended for.

To be clear, while I oppose adding this, it is up to us all as a 
collective whole.  If I'm in the minority then so be it.  However, I'd 
like to see us concentrate on value-added functionality in Geeklog (e.g. 
new features, better plugins, improved performance, etc) instead of 
wasting words on something that I feel isn't a priority.

-- 
Tony Bibbs          "I guess you have to remember that those who don't
tony at tonybibbs.com  hunt or fish often see those of us who do as      
                    harmlessly strange and sort of amusing. When you  
                    think about it, that might be a fair assessment." 
                    --Unknown