[RFC] Global template variable for user avatar

[callumacrae]

Code: Select all

<div>
<!-- BEGIN somerow -->
   <ul>
      <li>{somerow.VAR1}</li>
      <li>{somerow.VAR2}</li>
   </ul>
<!-- END somerow -->
</div>

Code: Select all

// Loop twice
for ($i = 0; $i < 2; $i++)
{
   $template->assign_block_vars('somerow', array(
      'VAR1' => "Just a string with the value of \$i: $i",
      'VAR2' => ($i * 4),
   ));
}

That's an array, no?

[psoTFX]

That's an array you can loop over accessing the elements it contains. This RFC adds the following capability:

Code: Select all

<!-- BEGIN somerow -->
   <ul>
      <li>{somerow.VAR1[element1]}</li>
      <li>{somerow.VAR1[element2]}</li>
   </ul>
<!-- END somerow -->

Code: Select all

// Loop twice
for ($i = 0; $i < 2; $i++)
{
   $template->assign_block_vars('somerow', array(
      'VAR1' => array(
         'element1' => 'Hey, this is block  ' . ($i + 1),
         'element2' => 'How you doing?'
      )
   ));
}

Awful example but you get the idea. As per the OP the original intent was to allow quick access to large data sets in vars like $user->data, e.g.

Code: Select all

<p>Hello {USER_DATA[username]} this is your avatar {USER_DATA[avatar_img]}</p>

Again awful example but that's the idea. You can't iterate over {USER_DATA}, you need to specify the element you wish to access.

[callumacrae]

That's *really* ugly, though. (at least, in my opinion).

[Senky]

That's *really* ugly, though. (at least, in my opinion).

I share your opinion, however as mentioned above, we probably should not use dot (.), so maybe find another separating character? Any ideas?

[imkingdavid]

That's *really* ugly, though. (at least, in my opinion).

So the options we are looking at are:
<p>Hello {USER_DATA[username]} this is your avatar {USER_DATA[avatar_img]}</p>
<p>Hello {USER_DATA->username} this is your avatar {USER_DATA->avatar_img}</p>
<p>Hello {USER_DATA.username} this is your avatar {USER_DATA.avatar_img}</p>

I personally like the first one, or the second if we can't go with the first. I still don't think we should use a dot.

[drathbun]

To me USER_DATA[username] seems the most natural of the three options provided.

[MichaelC]

That's *really* ugly, though. (at least, in my opinion).

So the options we are looking at are:
<p>Hello {USER_DATA[username]} this is your avatar {USER_DATA[avatar_img]}</p>
<p>Hello {USER_DATA->username} this is your avatar {USER_DATA->avatar_img}</p>
<p>Hello {USER_DATA.username} this is your avatar {USER_DATA.avatar_img}</p>

I personally like the first one, or the second if we can't go with the first. I still don't think we should use a dot.

I personally like the dot - Looks neater, but the [] are more standardised.

[callumacrae]

The dot is more common on the client side, too.

[naderman]

I think this is just fine now. It works and we should move on to more important problems rather than bikeshedding over this