Perl Template Toolkit (Paperback)

Summary

Among the many different approaches to "templating" with Perl--such as Embperl, Mason, HTML::Template, and hundreds of other lesser known systems--the Template Toolkit is widely recognized as one of the most versatile. Like other templating systems, the Template Toolkit allows programmers to embed Perl code and custom macros into HTML documents in order to create customized documents on the fly. But unlike the others, the Template Toolkit is as facile at producing HTML as it is at producing XML, PDF, or any other output format. And because it has its own simple templating language, templates can be written and edited by people who don't know Perl. In short, the Template Toolkit combines the best features of its competitors, with ease-of-use and flexibility, resulting in a technology that's fast, powerful and extensible, and ideally suited to the production and maintenance of web content and other dynamic document systems.

In Perl Template Toolkit you'll find detailed coverage of this increasingly popular technology. Written by core members of the technology's development team, the book guides you through the entire process of installing, configuring, using, and extending the Template Toolkit. It begins with a fast-paced but thorough tutorial on building web content with the Template Toolkit, and then walks you through generating and using data files, particularly with XML. It also provides detailed information on the Template Toolkit's modules, libraries, and tools in addition to a complete reference manual.

Topics in the book include:

• Getting started with the template toolkit
  
• The Template language
  
• Template directives
  
• Filters
  
• Plugins
  
• Extending the Template Toolkit
  
• Accessing databases
  
• XML
  
• Advanced static web page techniques
  
• Dynamic web content and web applications

The only book to cover this important tool, Perl Template Toolkit is essential reading for any Perl programmer who wants to create dynamic web content that is remarkably easy to maintain. This book is your surefire guide to implementing this fast, flexible, and powerful templating system.

Table of Contents

Preface

1. Getting Started with the Template Toolkit

     What the Template Toolkit Does

     The Templating Ecosystem

     Installing the Template Toolkit

     Documentation and Support

     Using the Template Toolkit

     The Template Toolkit Language

     Template Variables

     Template Directives

     Integrating and Extending the Template Toolkit

2. Building a Complete Web Site Using the Template Toolkit

     Getting Started

     Template Components

     Defining Variables

     Generating Many Pages

     Adding Headers and Footers Automatically

     More Template Components

     Wrapper and Layout Templates

     Menu Components

     Defining and Using Complex Data

     Assessment

3. The Template Language

     Template Syntax

     Template Variables

     Virtual Methods

4. Template Directives

     Accessing Variables

     Accessing External Templates and Files

     Defining Local Template Blocks

     Loops

     Conditionals

     Filters

     Plugins

     Macros

     Template Metadata

     Exception Handling

     Flow Control

     Debugging

     Perl Blocks

5. Filters

     Using Filters

     Standard Template Toolkit Filters

6. Plugins

     Using Plugins

     Standard Template Toolkit Plugins

7. Anatomy of the Template Toolkit

     Template Modules

     The Runtime Engine

     Module Interfaces

8. Extending the Template Toolkit

     Using and Implementing Noncore Components

     Creating Filters

     Creating Plugins

     Building a New Frontend

     Changing the Language

9. Accessing Databases

     Using the DBI Plugin

     Using Class::DBI

     Using DBIx::Table2Hash

10. XML

     Simple XML Processsing

     Creating XML Documents

     Processing RSS Files with XML.RSS

     Processing XML Documents with XML.DOM

     Processing XML Documents with XML.XPath

     Processing XML Documents with XML.LibXML

     Using Views to Transform XML Content

11. Advanced Static Web Page Techniques

     Getting Started

     Library Templates

     Content Templates

     Navigation Components

     Structuring Page Content

     Creating a New Skin

12. Dynamic Web Content and Web Applications

     CGI Scripts

     CGI Templates

     Apache and mod_perl

     A Complete Web Application

Appendix: Configuration Options

Index