From: Kurt Williams <kurtw@...>
Date: 2004-09-16T00:00:48+09:00
Subject: Re: Ruby equiv of Perl's HTML::Template module?

The second URL here offers up an ruby equivalent of HTML::Template. I've 
used the standard html-template in Ruby, which is philosophically 
identical to Perl's HTML::Template, but uses different syntax for the 
<TMPL_VAR> tags (that's the first URL below). Using it is still familiar 
if you are a fan of HTML::Template.

The newer html-template2 claims to be compatible with HTML::Template, 
though I haven't used it myself.

http://raa.ruby-lang.org/project/html-template/
http://raa.ruby-lang.org/project/html-template2/



On Wed, 15 Sep 2004, Chris wrote:

> Gavin Sinclair wrote:
> >>Hopefully someone here fairly familiar with Perl can point me to a Ruby
> >>HTML templating system that works like Perl's HTML::Template.  The next
> >>closest perferred equivalent would be Perl Template Toolkit.  But I
> >>really like HTML::Template a lot.
> >>
> >>I'm relatively new to Ruby (very slight dabbling since v1.6 circa 2001),
> >> so my opinions may not hold water, but I don't really consider eRuby a
> >>templating system.  Maybe someone can help me see how it's not anything
> >>more than PHP or ASP except Ruby is used instead of PHP or VBScript...?
> >>
> >>Anyway, my main interest is in finding something like Perl's
> >>HTML::Template.  Hopefully it exists somewhere in the Ruby world.
> > 
> > 
> > I don't think there's a direct port, but there are some Ruby HTML
> > templating libraries around (RDoc, cs/template, Amrita, ...).  Can you
> > describe the benefits of the Perl solution?
> 
> I'm not sure I am able to accurately articulate what I perceive the 
> benefits to be.  The main "advantage" that I feel -- it's kind of a 
> "gut" thing -- is that the templates are, in a logical way, truly only 
> markup.  There is no "code" per se, loosely speaking.  Strictly 
> speaking, I realize there are the loop and conditional tags, but still 
> it "feels" like only HTML markup.  I really like that because the 
> separation between logic and presentation is about as good as it gets.
> 
> All my opinion of course but those that use HTML::Template in the Perl 
> world, I think would agree.  I'm definitely going to check out some of 
> the suggestions.  I've held this infatuation with Ruby for a long time, 
> and even adopted some "Ruby ways" in my Perl coding for a few years now. 
>   I've decided the only real way to bridge the gap is to force myself to 
> stop using Perl (which I still really like) and just use Ruby full out. 
>   So I'm trying to find things that ease the transition, like 
> HTML::Template.  I can't afford a lot of downtime, which has been the 
> biggest strike against using Ruby -- I'm pretty fast, tight and accurate 
> in hitting targets using Perl (if I may be so bold).  But there are 
> several "Wow!" factors in Ruby that keep me hanging around... wishing... :-)
> 
> -ceo
> 

-- 
Kurt Williams
Senior Engineer
http://www.nationalgeographic.com
kurt@nationalgeographic.com