Rendering

Function

    
      
      PHPFront::render([$print = true]);
      
    
    

This function accepts one optional parameter, $print – a Boolean true or false that tells whether to actually print the rendered template or simply return it as a string. The default is true – print the template

      
        
        // Render and print our template
        $PHPFront->render();
        
        // Render but return document as string for further use
        $document = $PHPFront->render(false);
        echo $document;
        
      
      

      
        
        PHPFront::getRendered([$element_selector = null]);
        
      
      

      
        
        // Return menu list-items from the document for further use
        $menu_list_elements = $PHPFront->getRendered('#menu li');
        echo $menu_list_elements;
        
      
      

Reparse Rendering

With PHPFront, you could choose to assign data to yet another assigned data. This happens when an inserted content contains HTML markup, and you assigned data with selectors that target the elements within these markup.

To enable this mode, set the PHPFront::$parse_inserted_data property to true. PHPFront will render the template a second time finding the inserted markups and setting their assigned data. Elements rendered on the first round will be ignored.

Here is an example, with some data obtained from database:

    
      
	  // Assume that $db_result['article'] contains some markup: 
	  $db_result['article'] = 'This is an excerpt from <span data-user_info="first_name"></span>\'s article.';
      
	  $author_name = $db_result['first_name'];
      
    
    

    
      
      // Assign content to all span elements where the author's name should appear.
      // Target ALL the elements in the main template and those that are yet to be inserted
      $PHPFront->assign('span[data-user_info="first_name"]', $author_name);
      
      // The content of this $db_result['article'] will pick up the $author_name too
      $PHPFront->assign('#article_wrapper', $db_result['article']);
      
      // The main template
      $PHPFront->setTemplate('../../resources/template.html');
      
      // The setting
      $PHPFront->parse_inserted_data = true;
      
      // Render
      $PHPFront->render();
      
    
    

    
      
      <…>
        <div id="article_wrapper"> This is an excerpt from <span data-user_info="first_name">John Doe</span>'s article
        </div>
      </…>
      
    
    

But there is another way to do this.

    
    
      // 1. We set the markup as a template first
      $PHPFront->setTemplate($db_result['article']);
      
      // 2. We want the author's name to show inside that span element in our markup
      $PHPFront->assign('span[data-user_info="first_name"]', $author_name);
      
      // 3. Save our string to a variable, do not print
      $pre_rendered_article = $PHPFront->render(false);
      
      // Finally, process the main template
      
      // 1. We set the main template as a file
      $PHPFront->setTemplate('../../resources/template.html');
      
      // 2. Send our $pre_rendered_article to an element in the main template
      $PHPFront->assign('#article_wrapper', $pre_rendered_article);
      
      // 3. Render and print
      $PHPFront->render();
      
    
    

The #article_wrapper element will look like the result above. Only that this alternative method will require the same process for each propsective markup string. Where performance is critical, this alternative should be used instead of reparse-rendering.