Re: [PHP Template] Need opinions on @section/var

Andrei Zmievski wrote: > > I need help and opinions on how @section/var (and #section/var) syntax > should function. As a reminder, it refers to the value of a variable as > it exists in another section. > > Now, the problem is this. It is not possible during parsing time to > resolve whether the section name specified by the construct exists. The > validation can be done only after the whole template is parsed. However, > several issues come into play. > > 1) What if there are no sections with that name? Obviously, it should > output some sort of error, but I think it should not abandon execution > and should instead treat @section/var simply as @var. I'm not sure I would give it @var, maybe leave the value unset. > > 2) What if there is more than one section with that name? Which one > should it use? The first one? Maybe the most recently executed section? > > 3) Would it ever be useful for this construct to have forward > references, i.e. you use @sec2/var and 'sec2' is 40 lines down the page? I can't think of many good uses of this. Would this have a parsing overhead? > > 4) Another option is when @section/var is encountered at parsing time it > would check only those sections that have been defined so far to see > whether the name is there. This does not allow forward references, but, > like I said, it might not be useful. > > Another issue I wanted to mention is that #TOTAL is going to be valid > only inside the section and after it. Example: > > { section sec1 } > Category: $category > { section sec2 } > Headline: $headline > { /section } > { /section } > > The #TOTAL for sec2 is going to be undefined the first time Category is > printed. It will be calculated only when we enter sec2 and also after > it, the second time Category is printed. Basically, #TOTAL is calculated > each time you enter the section and it's persistent afterwards until the > next time. I hope it's not an inconvenience. That sounds logical.