RE: Template System

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http://forums.oscommerce.com/viewtopic.php?p=219114#219114
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I just completed reading this thread top to bottom.  I am very interested in how osC will be "modularized."

As neither a PHP programmer, nor a Smarty user, I do however understand template structuring, since that is the principle I use on several sites I maintain.

Here's my two cents regarding this thread:

Implementations become standards when they become overwhelmingly dominant.  PHP is almost there, I believe, besting ASP and JSP by its heavy dominance.  However, it sounds like Smarty is still running in a pack of serious competitors.  Until Smarty overwhelmingly dominates its competitors, the osC team has to weigh a the risk factor of future dominance in the template engine market.  So, I think there caution is prudent.

The (USE_SMARTY) bolt-on sounds like an attractive alternative.  It doesn't really skew the osC code horribly, and locates all areas a future merging of Smarty to osC might use.  So, the osC team gains a leg up, if Smarty becomes a standard of sorts.

Some of my paradigm details might be a little off, but I think this is the general big picture.  

I am really looking forward to a "modularized" version of osC, since osC appears to be The Answer to a marketeers dreams.  As it matures, it can only get better.

I have seen products for $2000 which are sheer crap compared to osC.  So, it is impossible for me to justify putting out that kind of $$$ for a system, when osC is beating the living daylights out of commercial products.  I mean, why even do research on othe products at all.  If osC can bring to reality a modularized option that integrates it into the sites I now maintain, I'll be integrating it into these sites in a hearbeat.

I guess multiple modular options are just around the corner, and its only a matter of time.  I will be very happy when this aspect of osC comes to life.  I know that as it matures, it will pummel the commercial market such that, commercial products will work much harder, and produce less crap.