help in a templating class

tony · 10-25-2008, 12:49 AM

Hi guys, this is my first actual php post here and it's about a problem with a line in the simple templating class that i have. the class it's this:

PHP Code:


			
<?php
class View {
    public $template;
    public $d='%'; //delimiter
    
    function load($f) {
        $f=WEB_HOST.'components/'.$f;
        if(!file_exists($f)) return FALSE;
        $this->template = file_get_contents($f);
    }
    
    function delimit($delimeter) {
        $this->d=$delimeter;
    }
    
    function replace($var, $content) {
        $this->template = str_replace($this->d.$var.$this->d, $content, $this->template);
    }
    
    function publish() {
        eval("?>".$this->template."<?");
    }
}
?>

the problem seems to be in the function file_get_contents() because nothing seems to be saved in the template variable. I have tried change it by using file, fopen, fread functions and also even using curl, but nothing seems to save the text of the file in the variable. I am lost with this. Any help would help me, and thanks in advance

Also I would like your opinion in the publish function, i feel not very secure using the eval() function.

Enfernikus · 10-25-2008, 02:35 AM

The only reason file_get_content wouldn't work that I know of is because the file doesn't exists. As for publish, just use a tmp php file

sketchMedia · 10-25-2008, 02:23 PM

is there some permission problems with the file, i.e. does PHP have privileges to read it.

Eval is evil xD.

Try using output buffering to get the template file:

PHP Code:


			
ob_start();
include('template file');
$template = ob_get_clean();

tony · 10-25-2008, 03:17 PM

sketchMedia and Enfernikus thanks for the quick reply. I went back to the code and the reason it wasn't getting the content was because the WEB_HOST constant wasn't saving the right string.

Although I would appreciate if I can get another option for the publish method. It just bugs me that it's using eval and can't find another way

Wildhoney · 10-25-2008, 04:40 PM

I don't think there will be another way apart from eval. You should be using <?php though, as opposed to the shortened version, as I believe the shortened version can often be disabled in the PHP configuration.

Enfernikus · 10-25-2008, 04:45 PM

In order to make a more reliable form of publishing I included a semicache system that includes the cache'd file and exit all processing after that. The class below is just an example because you'd really need to get rid of ALL the white space before taking and comparing md5 as FTP transfer tends to add white spaces.

PHP Code:


			
<?php

class View
{
    private $template;
    private $d;
    private $md5;
    private $key;

    public function __construct()
    {
        //Check if the cache folder exists
        if ( !is_dir(WEB_HOST . 'components/cache') )
        {
            @mkdir( WEB_HOST . 'components/cache' );
        }

        //Now establish default delimiter and key array
        $this->d = '%';
        $this->key = array();
    }

    public function load( $f )
    {
        if ( file_exists(WEB_HOST . 'compnents/' . $f) )
        {
            $this->template = $f;
            return $this;
        }
    }

    public function add( $key, $item )
    {
        $this->key[$key] = $item;
        return $this;
    }

    public function delimit( $delimeter )
    {
        $this->d = $delimeter;
    }

    public function publish()
    {
        //Check the file's MD5
        $file = WEB_HOST . 'components/' . $this->template;
        $storage = file_get_contents( $file );
        $md5 = md5_file( $file );

        //Check cache md5
        $cacheFile = WEB_HOST . 'components/cache/' . $this->template;
        $cacheMd5 = '';
        if( file_exists($cacheFile) )
        {
            $cacheStorage = file_get_contents( $cacheFile );
               $cacheMd5 = substr( $cacheStorage, 0, 32 );
        }    

        //now check the md5 sums
        if ( $md5 !== $cacheMd5 )
        {
            //It's not the same so send it through the loop
            foreach ( $this->key as $key => $val )
            {
                $storage = str_replace( $this->d . $key . $this->d, $val, $storage );
            }

            //now put it into the cache
            $storage = $md5 . $storage;
            file_put_contents( $cacheFile, $storage );
        }

        //include the file and kill any PHP after that as it should be it
        include ( $cacheFile );
        exit;

    }

}
?>

tony · 10-26-2008, 06:54 PM

thanks WildHoney I'll change that. Enfernikus thanks! i like that idea with cache files checked by the hash. i'll implement it see how it works.
although, would it be more effecient to use include or eval?

Enfernikus · 10-26-2008, 09:42 PM

I'm tempted to believe include would be far faster then eval, but I'm just guessing I haven't actually seen or done any benchmarks.

Also I forgot to mentioned, if you're going to set scopes(P/P/P) for your variables then you should do the same thing for your functions even if they're just going to be public.

tony · 10-26-2008, 10:43 PM

Yeah thought so too. I have search for any benchmark about it. I am going with include for this one. I don't know what you mean by function scope, though. I can see it in Java or c++ but function scope in php. then again i am not a pro in php.

Enfernikus · 10-26-2008, 11:05 PM

Sorry for the disgusting grammar errors in the example...Wrote it rather quickly.

PHP Code:


			

<?php

class Example
{
        //This can be access by anyone
        public function doThis() {}
        
        //This can be access only the class and
        //the classes's children
        protected function doThat() {}
        
        //This can ONLY be used the class Example
        private function doThese() {}
}

?>