Templates in PHP

Question

vicky_rawat 11 Junior Poster

17 Years Ago

Hi,

Can anybody provide me some examples of using templates in php

php

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Latest Post 17 Years Ago Latest Post by it2051229

Dani AI

Generated 6 Months Ago

Brief practical guide to PHP templating (building on ’s question and the replies from , and ). There are three pragmatic approaches: 1) use plain PHP files as views and include them from controllers (simple and fast), 2) use a tiny placeholder renderer when you want stricter separation, or 3) adopt a mature template engine / framework view layer when the project grows. Trade-offs: plain PHP is easiest; engines give auto‑escaping, inheritance, and caching.

A tiny renderer pattern is useful when you want separation without a full dependency. Keep templates as static markup with named placeholders and pass a short, explicit array of values. Example (safe-ish, minimal):

function renderTemplate($path, array $data = []) {
  $tpl = file_get_contents($path);
  foreach ($data as $k => $v) {
    $tpl = str_replace('{{'.$k.'}}', htmlspecialchars((string)$v, ENT_QUOTES, 'UTF-8'), $tpl);
  }
  return $tpl;
}

When to pick what: for one-off sites or prototypes plain PHP views are fine; if multiple designers or strict sandboxing are required, pick an engine (they add learning overhead but help prevent XSS and enable caching). If you’re using a framework, use its built-in view layer rather than inventing a custom system.

Practical rules and gotchas: keep templates free of DB queries or heavy logic; pass only necessary, sanitized data; never include files based on raw user input; enable template caching in production; avoid extract() unless you control the data (it hides variable origins); check error logs and file paths (use absolute paths or DIR); and add a simple dev-mode that shows template errors. These steps keep presentation tidy, secure, and maintainable as the app grows.

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humbug 5 Junior Poster in Training

17 Years Ago

There are functions for including in a script, a script held in another file. Is this what you mean? i.e. you can define the functions that you will use (and constants, variables, etc) and then include them.

Syntax:

include 'functions.php';
include "variables.inc";

See also, include_once, require and require_once.

almostbob 866 Retired: passive income ROCKS

17 Years Ago

a template

<html>
<head>
<style>
.left {width:50% text-align:right; float:left;}
.right{width:50% text-align:left; float:right;}
</style>
</head>
</body>
<div class=left><?php include('left.php'); ?></div>
<div class=right><?php include('right.php'); ?></div>
</body>
</html>

a trivial example, yet without any idea of
'my requirement' its difficult
the template above is the <style></style> in the head
typically the layout is created in an external stylesheet, that specifies,
absolute (bad only works on 1 screensize) or
relative (good)
placement and size colors transparency visibility of the elements to appear on a html page.
then the stylesheet is referenced in each pages source and ensures uniformity of appearance.
also allows for easy alteration of appearance by editing a single stylesheet
in php it is simple,
each page is (trivial example)

<?php ob_start("ob_gzhandler");
include ('header file');
/* some code to generate a body or process data */
?>
<LINK Rel="stylesheet" Type="text/css" Media="screen" href="/style.css.php">
</head>
<body>
some static html
<?php
/* some more php to do something else */
include ('footer file');
ob_flush();
?>

where header file includes the lines

<LINK Rel="stylesheet" Type="text/css" Media="screen" href="/style.css.php">
<script type=text/javascript language='javascript' src='/script.js.php'>

edit: in my sites all files are given php extensions and the first lines of code are

<?php 
header ('content-type: /* [b]actual content:: text html text/css text/javascript[/b] */');
ob_start("ob_gzhandler"); ?>

the last line of code is

<php 
ob_flush(); 
?>

in case mod_deflate is not enabled in the server

A CSS template
style.css.php

<?php header ('content-type: text/css');
ob_start("ob_gzhandler"); ?>
/*<style>*/
.rss-box { margin: 1em 3%; padding: 4px 8px; background-color: #ededed; border: 2px dashed #7485CA; }
.rss-title, rss-title a { font-family: "American Typewriter", "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Lucida, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; font-weight:bold; margin: 5px 0; padding: 0; letter-spacing: 1px; }
.rss-items { }
.rss-item { font-family: verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: .95em; font-weight : bold; margin: 8px 0; }
.rss-item a:link, .rss-item a:visited, .rss-item a:active { text-decoration : none; border-bottom: 1px solid #edefed; color: #88b; }
.rss-item a:hover { text-decoration : none; color: #e0861e; border-bottom: 1px dotted #e0861e; }
.rss-date { font-size: 0.90em; font-weight : normal; color: #F60; }
/*test layout area, lt left block rt right block b* containers*/

.lt { float:left; text-align:right; width:30%; }
.rt { float:right; text-align:left; width:65%; }
.bk { width:90%; border: #778899 solid 0px; margin: 2px 5%; padding:2px; }
.bkb { width:90%; border: #778899 solid 1px; margin: 2px 5%; padding:2px; }
.block { float:left; border: #778899 solid 1px; margin:5px; padding:5px; }
.blockr { float:right; text-align:left; border: #778899 solid 1px; margin:5px; padding:5px; }
/*end test area*/
@media all { .dontall {display:none; } }
@media print { .dontprint { display:none; } }
@media screen { .dontshow { display:none; } .doshow { display:inline; } }
a { font-size: 90%; text-decoration: none; }
a:hover { background-color: #66cdaa; text-decoration: none; } 
a:focus { background-color: #66cdaa; text-decoration: none; } 
a:active { background-color: #66cdaa; text-decoration: none; } 
a.button { font-size: 80%; background-color: #d4d0c8; color: #000000; cursor: pointer; overflow: visible; padding: 2px; }
a.button:hover { background-color: #66cdaa; } 
a.button:focus { background-color: #66cdaa; border: 1px solid #000000; } 
a.button:active { background-color: #66cdaa; border: 1px solid #000000; } 
body { background-color: #f6f6f6; color: #000000; font-family: verdana, geneva, arial, serif; font-size: 100%; margin: 15px; margin-top:0; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 1px; }
button { background-color: #d4d0c8; font-size: 80%; padding: 2px; border:1px; cursor: pointer; margin: 1px; overflow: visible; } 
button:hover { background-color: #66cdaa; } 
button:active { background-color: #66cdaa;  border-left: 3px; border-bottom: 3px; text-enhance: bold; } 
button:focus { background-color: #66cdaa;  border-left: 3px; border-bottom: 3px; text-enhance: bold; } 
div { text-size:100%; }
form { PADDING: 1px; margin: 1px; }
img { border: 0px; }
input { background-color: #efefef; border: 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid #000000;font-size: 90%; }
input:hover { background-color: #dfdfdf; }
input:focus { background-color: #dfdfdf; border-bottom: 2px solid #000000; }
input:active { background-color: #dfdfdf; border-bottom: 2px solid #000000;}
input[type=button] { background-color: #d4d0c8;  border: 1px solid; font-size: 90%; }
input[type=button]:hover { background-color: #66cdaa; }
input[type=button]:focus { background-color: #66cdaa; border: 2px solid #000000; }
input[type=button]:active { background-color: #66cdaa; border: 2px solid #000000; }
p { padding: 1px; font-size: 100%; list-style-type: square; }
p:first-line { font-weight:bold; }
p:first-letter { font-size:200%; float:left; }
table { padding: 1px; }
table.sortable th { background-color: #dedede; }
table.sortable tr.odd td { background-color: #ededed; }
table.sortable tr.even td { background-color: #dedede; }
table.sortable tr.sortbottom td { background-color: #dfdfdf; font-weight: bold; }
.top { background-color: #000070; color: #ffffff; text-align: right; }
td.top { background-color: #000070; color: #ffffff; text-align: right; }
td.bottom { background-color: #efefef; padding: 15px; }
.bottom {  background-color: #efefef; padding: 15px; }
textarea { background-color: #efefef; color: #460606; font-size: 90%; font-weight: bold; }
textarea:focus { background-color: #dfdfdf; color: #460606; font-size: 90%; font-weight: bold; }
textarea:active { background-color: #dfdfdf; color: #460606; font-size: 90%; font-weight: bold; }
ul li { PADDING: 1px; }
.infor { color: #329932; font-size: 90%; font-weight: bold; background-color: #efefef; border: 0px; }
.logo { background: transparent; color: #000000; text-align: right; font-size: 85%; top: auto; left: auto; bottom: 1px; right: 1px; position: fixed; }
.logomid { background-color: #eeeeee; color: #000000; text-align: right; font-size: 85%; top: auto; left: auto; position: fixed; bottom: 300px; right: 3px; }
.log1 { background: transparent; color: #000000; text-align: left; font-size: 85%; top: auto; left: 1px; position: fixed; bottom:1px; }
.log2 { background: transparent; color: #000000; text-align: left; font-size: 85%; top: auto; bottom: 1px; left: 5px; right: auto; position: fixed; }
.logtop { color: #000000; background: transparent; margin: 0; background-position: center center; text-align: right; font-size: 85%; top: 200px; left: 1px; right: auto; position: fixed; }
.logotop { color: #000000; background: transparent; text-align: right; font-size: 85%; top: 200px; left: auto; bottom: auto; right: 1px; position: fixed; }
.menu { font-size: 90%; font-weight: bold; color: #000000; background-color: #d4d0c8; cursor: pointer; }
.menuitems{ padding-left:10px; padding-right:10px; }
.mouseovermenu { font-size: 90%; font-weight: bold; color: #000000; background-color: #f6f6f6; cursor: pointer; }
.mouseover { font-size: 90%; font-weight: bold; color: #000000; background-color: #f6f6f6; }
.required { color: #662300; background-color: #f6f6f6; font-size: 100%; font-weight: bold; border: 0px; }
.smalldisplay { background-color: #f6f6f6; text-align: right; font-weight: bold; color: #000000; font-size: 85%; }
.smalltext { background-color: #f6f6f6; color: #000000; font-size: 85%; }
.text { font-size: 100%; }
.tinydisplay { background-color: #f6f6f6; text-align: right; font-weight: bold; color: #000000; font-size: 77%; }
.tinytext { background-color: #f6f6f6; color: #000000; font-size: 75%; }
.topmenu { background-color: #f6f6f6; text-align: right; top: 1px; left: auto; bottom: auto; right: 1px; position: fixed; }
.skin0{ position:absolute; width:165px; border:2px solid #778899; background: #eeeeee; font-family:Verdana; line-height:20px; cursor:default; font-size:14px; z-index:100; visibility:hidden; }
.menuitems{ padding-left:10px; padding-right:10px; }
<?php ob_flush(); ?>

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it2051229 -3 Junior Poster in Training · Answer 1 · 2009-01-14T14:09:11+00:00

it2051229 -3 Junior Poster in Training

17 Years Ago

PHP templates? what do you mean? like frameworks?

vicky_rawat 11 Junior Poster · Answer 2 · 2009-01-14T17:11:27+00:00

PHP templates? what do you mean? like frameworks?

Yes, if I want to create one according to my requirement.

vicky_rawat 11 Junior Poster · Answer 3 · 2009-01-14T19:39:46+00:00

No,
I actually mean to seperate presentation layer from business logic.

it2051229 -3 Junior Poster in Training · Answer 4 · 2009-01-15T06:06:34+00:00

he isn't asking for a css or any html/xhtml template...

the delhi guy was asking for something like the Zend, CakePHP, PRADO, seagull, and etc. framework.

vicky_rawat 11 Junior Poster · Answer 5 · 2009-01-15T10:24:57+00:00

he isn't asking for a css or any html/xhtml template...
the delhi guy was asking for something like the Zend, CakePHP, PRADO, seagull, and etc. framework.

Yes, you are right.

it2051229 -3 Junior Poster in Training · Answer 6 · 2009-01-15T10:45:56+00:00

you know when you use a template like them, they have a manual or documentation provided at there website.... on there manual, examples are provided.. so its going to cost some reading and testing.

Templates in PHP

Dani AI

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