[ZPT] Nesting templates

[Clemens Robbenhaar]

Hi Max,

 [...]
 > My basic idea is to build a site wich would have the following basic
 > properties
 > 
 > 1. Dynamic navigation
 > 2. Master template through which all content is fetched
 > 
 > I've been trying to do this by doing a sturcture like this:
 > 
 >   site_root/index_html
 > Site master template
 > 
 >   site_root/content
 > Folder with all content, as page templates, containing just the content, no
 > reference to the master template. This folder is indexed by the navigation.
 > Any special case functionality can then be put in the root.
 > 
 > Then I've been trying to create a script to fetch the correct content and
 > display it. I realize some feel that templates are not content or that I
 > should use CMF, but I want to build something from the ground up to learn.
 > 
 > I've been trying to get the master template to include the nested content
 > template by using a tal:content="structure ..." type of syntax, but it seems
 > that this only works when I statically try to give the path to the content.
 > I've been looking all over the web for a proper spec on how this
 > "structure"-keyword is suppose to work, but haven't really found anything.
 > 

About the 'structure' keyword: maybe look at
 http://www.zope.org/Documentation/Books/ZopeBook/current/AppendixC.stx 
(though it is a little hard to find the place where it is explained that
it renders the value without escaping '<', '>', '&' ...)
 
 Thus it dies not have a lot to to with Your problem, except that You
most proabaly want to use it ;-)

 > So really my question comes down to: how do I nest a template? Should I even
 > be doing this?

 You can do this, if this home grown design/content separation is just
good enough for You. However You do not give an example how the content
is selected ... I assume the id of the "content" page template to be
rendered is passed as request-parameter 'content_id'; e.g. if this is
'foo', You want to include /site_root/content/foo in Yout index_html.

 The dynamic lookup should go via the 'getattr' helper function, e.g.

<span tal:define="content_page python:getattr(here.content, request['foo'])"
      tal:replace="structure content_page" />

If the lookup is more complex (e.g. You might want some error handling,)
its better done by a script called from the 'index_html'. Well, it seems
You are already doing this, if I understand correctly ...

 > 
 > CMF I don't wish to use at the moment though. Too complex and too rigid for
 > my taste. I've looked at Kubes, but they looked too much like a kludge.

 I guess the developers of these products will appreciate Your subtle
and informed comments very much ;->

Cheers,
Clemens