+ +
+

Template Parser Class

+

The Template Parser Class can perform simple text substitution for +pseudo-variables contained within your view files. +It can parse simple variables or variable tag pairs.

+

If you’ve never used a template engine, +pseudo-variable names are enclosed in braces, like this:

+
<html>
+        <head>
+                <title>{blog_title}</title>
+        </head>
+        <body>
+                <h3>{blog_heading}</h3>
+
+        {blog_entries}
+                <h5>{title}</h5>
+                <p>{body}</p>
+        {/blog_entries}
+
+        </body>
+</html>
+
+
+

These variables are not actual PHP variables, but rather plain text +representations that allow you to eliminate PHP from your templates +(view files).

+
+

Note

+

CodeIgniter does not require you to use this class since +using pure PHP in your view pages lets them run a little faster. +However, some developers prefer to use a template engine if +they work with designers who they feel would find some +confusion working with PHP.

+
+
+

Important

+

The Template Parser Class is not a full-blown +template parsing solution. We’ve kept it very lean on purpose in order +to maintain maximum performance.

+
+ +
+

Using the Template Parser Class

+
+

Initializing the Class

+

Like most other classes in CodeIgniter, the Parser class is initialized +in your controller using the $this->load->library() method:

+
$this->load->library('parser');
+
+
+

Once loaded, the Parser library object will be available using: +$this->parser

+
+
+

Parsing templates

+

You can use the parse() method to parse (or render) simple templates, +like this:

+
$data = array(
+        'blog_title' => 'My Blog Title',
+        'blog_heading' => 'My Blog Heading'
+);
+
+$this->parser->parse('blog_template', $data);
+
+
+

The first parameter contains the name of the view +file (in this example the file would be called +blog_template.php), and the second parameter contains an associative +array of data to be replaced in the template. In the above example, the +template would contain two variables: {blog_title} and {blog_heading}

+

There is no need to “echo” or do something with the data returned by +$this->parser->parse(). It is automatically passed to the output class +to be sent to the browser. However, if you do want the data returned +instead of sent to the output class you can pass TRUE (boolean) as the +third parameter:

+
$string = $this->parser->parse('blog_template', $data, TRUE);
+
+
+
+
+

Variable Pairs

+

The above example code allows simple variables to be replaced. What if +you would like an entire block of variables to be repeated, with each +iteration containing new values? Consider the template example we showed +at the top of the page:

+
<html>
+        <head>
+                <title>{blog_title}</title>
+        </head>
+        <body>
+                <h3>{blog_heading}</h3>
+
+        {blog_entries}
+                <h5>{title}</h5>
+                <p>{body}</p>
+        {/blog_entries}
+
+        </body>
+</html>
+
+
+

In the above code you’ll notice a pair of variables: {blog_entries} +data… {/blog_entries}. In a case like this, the entire chunk of data +between these pairs would be repeated multiple times, corresponding to +the number of rows in the “blog_entries” element of the parameters array.

+

Parsing variable pairs is done using the identical code shown above to +parse single variables, except, you will add a multi-dimensional array +corresponding to your variable pair data. Consider this example:

+
$this->load->library('parser');
+
+$data = array(
+        'blog_title'   => 'My Blog Title',
+        'blog_heading' => 'My Blog Heading',
+        'blog_entries' => array(
+                array('title' => 'Title 1', 'body' => 'Body 1'),
+                array('title' => 'Title 2', 'body' => 'Body 2'),
+                array('title' => 'Title 3', 'body' => 'Body 3'),
+                array('title' => 'Title 4', 'body' => 'Body 4'),
+                array('title' => 'Title 5', 'body' => 'Body 5')
+        )
+);
+
+$this->parser->parse('blog_template', $data);
+
+
+

If your “pair” data is coming from a database result, which is already a +multi-dimensional array, you can simply use the database result_array() +method:

+
$query = $this->db->query("SELECT * FROM blog");
+
+$this->load->library('parser');
+
+$data = array(
+        'blog_title'   => 'My Blog Title',
+        'blog_heading' => 'My Blog Heading',
+        'blog_entries' => $query->result_array()
+);
+
+$this->parser->parse('blog_template', $data);
+
+
+
+
+

Usage Notes

+

If you include substitution parameters that are not referenced in your +template, they are ignored:

+
$template = 'Hello, {firstname} {lastname}';
+$data = array(
+        'title' => 'Mr',
+        'firstname' => 'John',
+        'lastname' => 'Doe'
+);
+$this->parser->parse_string($template, $data);
+
+// Result: Hello, John Doe
+
+
+

If you do not include a substitution parameter that is referenced in your +template, the original pseudo-variable is shown in the result:

+
$template = 'Hello, {firstname} {initials} {lastname}';
+$data = array(
+        'title' => 'Mr',
+        'firstname' => 'John',
+        'lastname' => 'Doe'
+);
+$this->parser->parse_string($template, $data);
+
+// Result: Hello, John {initials} Doe
+
+
+

If you provide a string substitution parameter when an array is expected, +i.e. for a variable pair, the substitution is done for the opening variable +pair tag, but the closing variable pair tag is not rendered properly:

+
$template = 'Hello, {firstname} {lastname} ({degrees}{degree} {/degrees})';
+$data = array(
+        'degrees' => 'Mr',
+        'firstname' => 'John',
+        'lastname' => 'Doe',
+        'titles' => array(
+                array('degree' => 'BSc'),
+                array('degree' => 'PhD')
+        )
+);
+$this->parser->parse_string($template, $data);
+
+// Result: Hello, John Doe (Mr{degree} {/degrees})
+
+
+

If you name one of your individual substitution parameters the same as one +used inside a variable pair, the results may not be as expected:

+
$template = 'Hello, {firstname} {lastname} ({degrees}{degree} {/degrees})';
+$data = array(
+        'degree' => 'Mr',
+        'firstname' => 'John',
+        'lastname' => 'Doe',
+        'degrees' => array(
+                array('degree' => 'BSc'),
+                array('degree' => 'PhD')
+        )
+);
+$this->parser->parse_string($template, $data);
+
+// Result: Hello, John Doe (Mr Mr )
+
+
+
+
+

View Fragments

+

You do not have to use variable pairs to get the effect of iteration in +your views. It is possible to use a view fragment for what would be inside +a variable pair, and to control the iteration in your controller instead +of in the view.

+

An example with the iteration controlled in the view:

+
$template = '<ul>{menuitems}
+        <li><a href="{link}">{title}</a></li>
+{/menuitems}</ul>';
+
+$data = array(
+        'menuitems' => array(
+                array('title' => 'First Link', 'link' => '/first'),
+                array('title' => 'Second Link', 'link' => '/second'),
+        )
+);
+$this->parser->parse_string($template, $data);
+
+
+

Result:

+
<ul>
+        <li><a href="/first">First Link</a></li>
+        <li><a href="/second">Second Link</a></li>
+</ul>
+
+
+

An example with the iteration controlled in the controller, +using a view fragment:

+
$temp = '';
+$template1 = '<li><a href="{link}">{title}</a></li>';
+$data1 = array(
+        array('title' => 'First Link', 'link' => '/first'),
+        array('title' => 'Second Link', 'link' => '/second'),
+);
+
+foreach ($data1 as $menuitem)
+{
+        $temp .= $this->parser->parse_string($template1, $menuitem, TRUE);
+}
+
+$template = '<ul>{menuitems}</ul>';
+$data = array(
+        'menuitems' => $temp
+);
+$this->parser->parse_string($template, $data);
+
+
+

Result:

+
<ul>
+        <li><a href="/first">First Link</a></li>
+        <li><a href="/second">Second Link</a></li>
+</ul>
+
+
+
+
+
+

Class Reference

+
+
+class CI_Parser
+
+
+parse($template, $data[, $return = FALSE])
+
+++ + + + + + + + +
Parameters:
    +
  • $template (string) – Path to view file
    • +
  • $data (array) – Variable data
    • +
  • $return (bool) – Whether to only return the parsed template
    • +
+
Returns:

Parsed template string

+
Return type:

string

+
+

Parses a template from the provided path and variables.

+
+ +
+
+parse_string($template, $data[, $return = FALSE])
+
+++ + + + + + + + +
Parameters:
    +
  • $template (string) – Path to view file
    • +
  • $data (array) – Variable data
    • +
  • $return (bool) – Whether to only return the parsed template
    • +
+
Returns:

Parsed template string

+
Return type:

string

+
+

This method works exactly like parse(), only it accepts +the template as a string instead of loading a view file.

+
+ +
+
+set_delimiters([$l = '{'[, $r = '}']])
+
+++ + + + + + +
Parameters:
    +
  • $l (string) – Left delimiter
    • +
  • $r (string) – Right delimiter
    • +
+
Return type:

void

+
+

Sets the delimiters (opening and closing) for a +pseudo-variable “tag” in a template.

+
+ +
+ +
+
+ + +