Dynamic includes in Template::Toolkit

Molt has asked for the wisdom of the Perl Monks concerning the following question:

I'm currently working on a web application using Template Toolkit, but now I'm experiencing difficulties trying to work out the nicest way to allow dynamic includes.

What I'm trying to do is have a template including other templates dynamically based on either the status of a variable, or the result of a function, so that the following could be made to work. Please note I do know that the 'header' and 'body' in the includes are taken as literals, it's this I'm trying to get round here.

As part of program:

  $template->process(
   'toplevel.html', {
    title => 'Hello, World',
    header => 'current_header.html',
    body => 'welcome_page.html'
   }
  };
[download]

As toplevel.html

<html>
 <head>
  <title>[% title %]</title>
 </head>
 <body>
  [% INCLUDE header %] <!-- To include current_header.html, somehow-->
  [% INCLUDE body %] <!-- To include welcome_page.html -->
 </body>
</html>
[download]

The aim of this is to allow me to associate new actions to page contents without a change either to the basic code, or to the top-level page templates.

I could code up a plugin to do this, but fear reinventing wheels. Any hints?

Comment on Dynamic includes in Template::Toolkit Select or Download Code

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Re: Dynamic includes in Template::Toolkit by zby (Vicar) on May 07, 2003 at 07:34 UTC
Perhaps I've misunderstood something - but it seems fairly simple - just use a variable (`$header`). From TT manual (Directives): `[cut] The INCLUDE directive automatically quotes the filename specified, as +per INSERT described above. When a variable contains the name of the +template for the INCLUDE directive, it should be explicitly prefixed +by '$' or double-quoted [% myheader = 'my/misc/header' %] [% INCLUDE myheader %] # 'myheader' [% INCLUDE $myheader %] # 'my/misc/header' [% INCLUDE "$myheader" %] # 'my/misc/header'` [download]	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Re: Re: Dynamic includes in Template::Toolkit by Molt (Chaplain) on May 07, 2003 at 07:46 UTC
No, this is exactly what I was trying to do. It's been a while since I used tt2 so just went to the normal POD rather than the manual. Thank you very much for this, saves me an awful lot of switch statements.	[reply]
Re: Dynamic includes in Template::Toolkit by benn (Vicar) on May 07, 2003 at 07:48 UTC
the Directives Manual # Include says that you can do this... `[% INCLUDE $myheader %]` [download] I haven't tried it myself, but it therefore looks like what you want to do should be possible. Cheers Ben.	[reply] [d/l]
Re: Dynamic includes in Template::Toolkit by Molt (Chaplain) on May 07, 2003 at 07:07 UTC
Couple of typing mistakes in my question.. 'get roung' should read 'get round', and 'I code code up a plugin' should be 'I could code up a plugin'. Thanks to broquaint for pointing out the latter. I thought I'd better post to correct that one since it makes the last bit look like utter nonsense. Update: Ah, didn't know broquaint could remove these mistakes. Thanks to him for doing that. Move along now, nothing to see here.	[reply]


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