Lies, Damned Lies, and No Need for Templating Engine

Andrey “Rarst” Savchenko

• Rarst.net
• WPSE ( s.tk/wp )
• QueryPosts.com
• Composer.Rarst.net

WordPress theme dev is more than PHP

1. template hierarchy
2. template tags API

Innovation in WordPress templating is dead

WordPress look, you know?

• get_template_part() — in WP 3.0 (2010)
• theme wrappers — around WP 3.2 (2011)

Nothing in last 3 years & 8 major releases

Featuritis cheat sheet

• sandboxing
• default escape
• template inheritance

Abstractions

Protect you from code.

Constraints

Protect you from yourself.

Mustache — entry to templates & facial hair

1. context
2. “logic-less” template

mustache.github.io

Mustache — example

{{#posts}}
	<li>{{post_title}}</li>
{{/posts}}

{{^posts}}
	<li>No posts</li>
{{/posts}}

Twig — pack leader of PHP templating

1. context
2. loader (lexer, parser, compiler)
3. template (filters, functions, macros, and more)

twig.sensiolabs.org

Twig — example

{% for post in posts %}
	<li>{{post.post_title}}</li>
{% else %}
	<li>No posts</li>
{% endfor %}

Timber — WordPress + Twig

1. context in PHP template
2. Twig template
3. OOP context access API

timber.upstatement.com

Timber — example

{% for post in posts %}
	<li>{{post.title}}</li>
{% else %}
	<li>No posts</li>
{% endfor %}

Meadow — WordPress templating DSL

1. template hierarchy
2. template tags API
3. DSL API

bitbucket.org/rarst/meadow

Meadow — example

{% loop %}
	<li>{{ the_title() }}</li>
<!--
@TODO {% else %} <li>No posts</li>
-->
{% endloop %}

Burst the bubble! Questions?

• @Rarst
• The Loop ( s.tk/chat )

Rarst.net/slides/templating