Template Engines

Am I mad?

[PeteM]

I've never got round to installing Smarty templates (the install looks too painful on a shared server). However I really like using templates (it makes the dev process so much quicker). So instead of Smarty I use a slightly modified version of the phpBB template engine (even for my non phpBB sites). Am I mad? Does anyone use any other template engines (apart from Smarty)?

Pete

[cameraman]

Smarty installation is completely painless on a shared server, just put it in a directory. I'm completely hooked on it.

[dreamcatcher]

Never cared for Smarty myself. I prefer Savant2.

dc

[PeteM]

Just had a look at Savant2. Looks like a lot of php code embedded within the template. Surely that defeats the object?

Cheers, Pete

[vincevincevince]

The one line template engine [webmasterworld.com] does the trick for me!

[lasko]

Smarty is still I feel is far better for already built in functions.

It can look a bit scary for a beginner who's never studied the concept of template engines but once you get your head around it then its simple.

Install is very easy just follow the basic installation [smarty.php.net...] to ensure it works then slowely make adjustments to suit your own app.

I have a dir for my main ap say

/dir

then I have php classes

/dir/class

then I have the smarty template at

/dir/class/Smarty

With smarty you can prevent php code being inserted by designers and force them to use smarty functions only which are very easy to use like looping, dates etc.

Tried writing my own and it worked but then found smarty which was faster, why have a dog and bark yourself?

[hughie]

"Tried writing my own and it worked but then found smarty which was faster"

me to, although writing my own really helped when picking up smarty as the concepts are the same, smarty just makes it sooo much easier.

Back the question, smarty is very easy to install on a shared server, you just have to whack it in a directory and you're away.

[dreamcatcher]

Just had a look at Savant2. Looks like a lot of php code embedded within the template. Surely that defeats the object?

Its very versatile and easy to implement. Each to his own.

dc

[cameraman]

I don't think this is off-topic since the OP is asking about template engines, but dc, why do you prefer savant2? Smarty is my first foray into template engines and I just love it, but I don't have any experience with any other (and I'm rarely opposed to upgrading ;) ).