From: Shawn McKenzie > Bob McConnell wrote: >> From: Virgilio Quilario >>>> That looks nice, but how do I get to the point where I can understand >>>> how to use it? >>>> >>>> I have also looked at the Smarty site <http://www.smarty.net/>, but >>>> their documents assume significant experience in building and using >>>> templates. >>>> >>>> Where can I find guidance or tutorials on how to do all of this, >>>> starting with only a rudimentary knowledge of HTML and PHP. It would >> be >>>> best if they also focused on procedural rather than object oriented >>>> code. >>> >>> When I started learning smarty, I spent most of my time doing research >>> and that's really tiresome and it is so hard to find examples. >>> Experimented a lot and listed those what's possible, then applied them >>> to my projects. >>> >>> Now to make them handy I posted them to my site so i can have a look >>> whenever and wherever. >>> >> http://www.jampmark.com/php-programming/16-very-useful-smarty-scripting- >> tips-and-techniques-to-make-templates-smarter.html >>> As a first step, maybe you should see the crash course at smarty >>> http://www.smarty.net/crashcourse.php >> >> Hi Virgil, >> >> After your last post here, I looked at your site, then the Smarty site. >> That was what triggered this question. Templates are a black art to me. >> I don't even know where to begin to understand them. Every reference I >> have looked at so far assumes that I already understand the MVC pattern, >> which is also one of the dark arts. >> >> Let me put it simply. I can't grok OO. I tried to do OOP for several >> years, but it simply does not make any sense to me. As a direct result, >> I don't understand the concept nor application of patterns. So how do I >> figure out how to use templates without having to absorb those first? >> Can I learn enough this way to determine if a site can be converted from >> the current state (PHP and XHTML spaghetti) into templates and begin >> that transformation? > > You don't need OOP to use templates. Smarty is OOP. but there are some > lighter faster template solutions, as well as just creating your own > templates that you either parse and replace vars in or just use PHP > code. As long as you keep the PHP in your templates display oriented > and not business/app logic based then it should be a nice solution. > > You might also look at a framework (codeignitor, cakephp) and go through > their tutorial, though these are undoubtedly MVC/OOP, it may make more > sense once you start building something with it. Well, I installed CodeIgniter on one of my home servers last night, but have not yet started through the manual. That will be an interesting experiment. I am hoping to create a simple recipe management system there, similar to ReciPants, but in PHP. At work the problem is more basic; 162 files of interleaved database access, business logic and presentation, all written by a civil engineering student with no software training at all. He has moved on, but five of us working on three products are now dealing with the mess he left behind. Thank you, Bob McConnell -- PHP General Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php
