Re: [PHP3] Re: [PHP Template] Re: [PHP3] Template Discussion

On Wed, 22 Mar 2000, Sascha Schumann wrote:
> Perhaps you feel better when we clearly state the purpose and the 
> intended design limits of the template engine.
> 
> It's not like Andrei or anyone else has too much free time to reinvent
> PHP. The template engine will also not become a separate language or
> compete with PHP, even if it can do simply loops. 

It is not competition that worries me. What worries me is having PHP
scripts floating around which seem to be in two completely different
languages. It will be confusing and wrong.

> 
> And of course, feature requests which are outside of the template engine's
> scope are denied.

From what I understand from the spec something like
{if foo == bar}
...
{/if}

is what's allowed. Only a simple "if" statement. Now you're telling me
that when ppl start wanting something like:
{if foo == bar || bar == foobar}
...
{/if}

then that won't be implemented? You're wrong... I know how these things
start rolling. It will be exactly what happened to Rasmus, as he slowly
started adding features. Now that was positive because it brought to 
the evolution of PHP but Andrei writing another language on-top of PHP is 
not what we want.

Although he doesn't mean to, in 6 months this evolution will happen
because one of his designers will want more... That's how PHP evolved.
Like we said at the PDM, he'll end up with just another PHP, but just with
different syntax.

> 
> Leave the complex logic to the programmer, enable the designer to do
> his/her job solely. I think that's the right strategy.

The right strategy is not to mix a new language with PHP. Andrei is free
to develop what he wants but I don't want to see this new meta-language
endorsed by the PHP Group because it is wrong. I prefer telling people to
use:

<? if ( "foo" == "bar"): ?>
...
<? endif; ?>

and guess what, as simple as this PHP syntax is, if the web designers
suddenly nags for more complex if() expressions he will then have the
possibility of learning the neat PHP "&&". He doesn't have to learn it to
begin with so that he won't be confused.

I think it's ashame because I thought it'd be nice to have a simple
template engine similar to the phplib one but fast bundled with PHP. I'm
not going to support the bundling of a new meta-language on-top of PHP
within PHP.

Andi