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Source file src/text/template/doc.go

Documentation: text/template

		 1  // Copyright 2011 The Go Authors. All rights reserved.
		 2  // Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
		 3  // license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
		 4  
		 5  /*
		 6  Package template implements data-driven templates for generating textual output.
		 7  
		 8  To generate HTML output, see package html/template, which has the same interface
		 9  as this package but automatically secures HTML output against certain attacks.
		10  
		11  Templates are executed by applying them to a data structure. Annotations in the
		12  template refer to elements of the data structure (typically a field of a struct
		13  or a key in a map) to control execution and derive values to be displayed.
		14  Execution of the template walks the structure and sets the cursor, represented
		15  by a period '.' and called "dot", to the value at the current location in the
		16  structure as execution proceeds.
		17  
		18  The input text for a template is UTF-8-encoded text in any format.
		19  "Actions"--data evaluations or control structures--are delimited by
		20  "{{" and "}}"; all text outside actions is copied to the output unchanged.
		21  Except for raw strings, actions may not span newlines, although comments can.
		22  
		23  Once parsed, a template may be executed safely in parallel, although if parallel
		24  executions share a Writer the output may be interleaved.
		25  
		26  Here is a trivial example that prints "17 items are made of wool".
		27  
		28  	type Inventory struct {
		29  		Material string
		30  		Count		uint
		31  	}
		32  	sweaters := Inventory{"wool", 17}
		33  	tmpl, err := template.New("test").Parse("{{.Count}} items are made of {{.Material}}")
		34  	if err != nil { panic(err) }
		35  	err = tmpl.Execute(os.Stdout, sweaters)
		36  	if err != nil { panic(err) }
		37  
		38  More intricate examples appear below.
		39  
		40  Text and spaces
		41  
		42  By default, all text between actions is copied verbatim when the template is
		43  executed. For example, the string " items are made of " in the example above
		44  appears on standard output when the program is run.
		45  
		46  However, to aid in formatting template source code, if an action's left
		47  delimiter (by default "{{") is followed immediately by a minus sign and white
		48  space, all trailing white space is trimmed from the immediately preceding text.
		49  Similarly, if the right delimiter ("}}") is preceded by white space and a minus
		50  sign, all leading white space is trimmed from the immediately following text.
		51  In these trim markers, the white space must be present:
		52  "{{- 3}}" is like "{{3}}" but trims the immediately preceding text, while
		53  "{{-3}}" parses as an action containing the number -3.
		54  
		55  For instance, when executing the template whose source is
		56  
		57  	"{{23 -}} < {{- 45}}"
		58  
		59  the generated output would be
		60  
		61  	"23<45"
		62  
		63  For this trimming, the definition of white space characters is the same as in Go:
		64  space, horizontal tab, carriage return, and newline.
		65  
		66  Actions
		67  
		68  Here is the list of actions. "Arguments" and "pipelines" are evaluations of
		69  data, defined in detail in the corresponding sections that follow.
		70  
		71  */
		72  //	{{/* a comment */}}
		73  //	{{- /* a comment with white space trimmed from preceding and following text */ -}}
		74  //		A comment; discarded. May contain newlines.
		75  //		Comments do not nest and must start and end at the
		76  //		delimiters, as shown here.
		77  /*
		78  
		79  	{{pipeline}}
		80  		The default textual representation (the same as would be
		81  		printed by fmt.Print) of the value of the pipeline is copied
		82  		to the output.
		83  
		84  	{{if pipeline}} T1 {{end}}
		85  		If the value of the pipeline is empty, no output is generated;
		86  		otherwise, T1 is executed. The empty values are false, 0, any
		87  		nil pointer or interface value, and any array, slice, map, or
		88  		string of length zero.
		89  		Dot is unaffected.
		90  
		91  	{{if pipeline}} T1 {{else}} T0 {{end}}
		92  		If the value of the pipeline is empty, T0 is executed;
		93  		otherwise, T1 is executed. Dot is unaffected.
		94  
		95  	{{if pipeline}} T1 {{else if pipeline}} T0 {{end}}
		96  		To simplify the appearance of if-else chains, the else action
		97  		of an if may include another if directly; the effect is exactly
		98  		the same as writing
		99  			{{if pipeline}} T1 {{else}}{{if pipeline}} T0 {{end}}{{end}}
	 100  
	 101  	{{range pipeline}} T1 {{end}}
	 102  		The value of the pipeline must be an array, slice, map, or channel.
	 103  		If the value of the pipeline has length zero, nothing is output;
	 104  		otherwise, dot is set to the successive elements of the array,
	 105  		slice, or map and T1 is executed. If the value is a map and the
	 106  		keys are of basic type with a defined order, the elements will be
	 107  		visited in sorted key order.
	 108  
	 109  	{{range pipeline}} T1 {{else}} T0 {{end}}
	 110  		The value of the pipeline must be an array, slice, map, or channel.
	 111  		If the value of the pipeline has length zero, dot is unaffected and
	 112  		T0 is executed; otherwise, dot is set to the successive elements
	 113  		of the array, slice, or map and T1 is executed.
	 114  
	 115  	{{template "name"}}
	 116  		The template with the specified name is executed with nil data.
	 117  
	 118  	{{template "name" pipeline}}
	 119  		The template with the specified name is executed with dot set
	 120  		to the value of the pipeline.
	 121  
	 122  	{{block "name" pipeline}} T1 {{end}}
	 123  		A block is shorthand for defining a template
	 124  			{{define "name"}} T1 {{end}}
	 125  		and then executing it in place
	 126  			{{template "name" pipeline}}
	 127  		The typical use is to define a set of root templates that are
	 128  		then customized by redefining the block templates within.
	 129  
	 130  	{{with pipeline}} T1 {{end}}
	 131  		If the value of the pipeline is empty, no output is generated;
	 132  		otherwise, dot is set to the value of the pipeline and T1 is
	 133  		executed.
	 134  
	 135  	{{with pipeline}} T1 {{else}} T0 {{end}}
	 136  		If the value of the pipeline is empty, dot is unaffected and T0
	 137  		is executed; otherwise, dot is set to the value of the pipeline
	 138  		and T1 is executed.
	 139  
	 140  Arguments
	 141  
	 142  An argument is a simple value, denoted by one of the following.
	 143  
	 144  	- A boolean, string, character, integer, floating-point, imaginary
	 145  		or complex constant in Go syntax. These behave like Go's untyped
	 146  		constants. Note that, as in Go, whether a large integer constant
	 147  		overflows when assigned or passed to a function can depend on whether
	 148  		the host machine's ints are 32 or 64 bits.
	 149  	- The keyword nil, representing an untyped Go nil.
	 150  	- The character '.' (period):
	 151  		.
	 152  		The result is the value of dot.
	 153  	- A variable name, which is a (possibly empty) alphanumeric string
	 154  		preceded by a dollar sign, such as
	 155  		$piOver2
	 156  		or
	 157  		$
	 158  		The result is the value of the variable.
	 159  		Variables are described below.
	 160  	- The name of a field of the data, which must be a struct, preceded
	 161  		by a period, such as
	 162  		.Field
	 163  		The result is the value of the field. Field invocations may be
	 164  		chained:
	 165  			.Field1.Field2
	 166  		Fields can also be evaluated on variables, including chaining:
	 167  			$x.Field1.Field2
	 168  	- The name of a key of the data, which must be a map, preceded
	 169  		by a period, such as
	 170  		.Key
	 171  		The result is the map element value indexed by the key.
	 172  		Key invocations may be chained and combined with fields to any
	 173  		depth:
	 174  			.Field1.Key1.Field2.Key2
	 175  		Although the key must be an alphanumeric identifier, unlike with
	 176  		field names they do not need to start with an upper case letter.
	 177  		Keys can also be evaluated on variables, including chaining:
	 178  			$x.key1.key2
	 179  	- The name of a niladic method of the data, preceded by a period,
	 180  		such as
	 181  		.Method
	 182  		The result is the value of invoking the method with dot as the
	 183  		receiver, dot.Method(). Such a method must have one return value (of
	 184  		any type) or two return values, the second of which is an error.
	 185  		If it has two and the returned error is non-nil, execution terminates
	 186  		and an error is returned to the caller as the value of Execute.
	 187  		Method invocations may be chained and combined with fields and keys
	 188  		to any depth:
	 189  			.Field1.Key1.Method1.Field2.Key2.Method2
	 190  		Methods can also be evaluated on variables, including chaining:
	 191  			$x.Method1.Field
	 192  	- The name of a niladic function, such as
	 193  		fun
	 194  		The result is the value of invoking the function, fun(). The return
	 195  		types and values behave as in methods. Functions and function
	 196  		names are described below.
	 197  	- A parenthesized instance of one the above, for grouping. The result
	 198  		may be accessed by a field or map key invocation.
	 199  		print (.F1 arg1) (.F2 arg2)
	 200  		(.StructValuedMethod "arg").Field
	 201  
	 202  Arguments may evaluate to any type; if they are pointers the implementation
	 203  automatically indirects to the base type when required.
	 204  If an evaluation yields a function value, such as a function-valued
	 205  field of a struct, the function is not invoked automatically, but it
	 206  can be used as a truth value for an if action and the like. To invoke
	 207  it, use the call function, defined below.
	 208  
	 209  Pipelines
	 210  
	 211  A pipeline is a possibly chained sequence of "commands". A command is a simple
	 212  value (argument) or a function or method call, possibly with multiple arguments:
	 213  
	 214  	Argument
	 215  		The result is the value of evaluating the argument.
	 216  	.Method [Argument...]
	 217  		The method can be alone or the last element of a chain but,
	 218  		unlike methods in the middle of a chain, it can take arguments.
	 219  		The result is the value of calling the method with the
	 220  		arguments:
	 221  			dot.Method(Argument1, etc.)
	 222  	functionName [Argument...]
	 223  		The result is the value of calling the function associated
	 224  		with the name:
	 225  			function(Argument1, etc.)
	 226  		Functions and function names are described below.
	 227  
	 228  A pipeline may be "chained" by separating a sequence of commands with pipeline
	 229  characters '|'. In a chained pipeline, the result of each command is
	 230  passed as the last argument of the following command. The output of the final
	 231  command in the pipeline is the value of the pipeline.
	 232  
	 233  The output of a command will be either one value or two values, the second of
	 234  which has type error. If that second value is present and evaluates to
	 235  non-nil, execution terminates and the error is returned to the caller of
	 236  Execute.
	 237  
	 238  Variables
	 239  
	 240  A pipeline inside an action may initialize a variable to capture the result.
	 241  The initialization has syntax
	 242  
	 243  	$variable := pipeline
	 244  
	 245  where $variable is the name of the variable. An action that declares a
	 246  variable produces no output.
	 247  
	 248  Variables previously declared can also be assigned, using the syntax
	 249  
	 250  	$variable = pipeline
	 251  
	 252  If a "range" action initializes a variable, the variable is set to the
	 253  successive elements of the iteration. Also, a "range" may declare two
	 254  variables, separated by a comma:
	 255  
	 256  	range $index, $element := pipeline
	 257  
	 258  in which case $index and $element are set to the successive values of the
	 259  array/slice index or map key and element, respectively. Note that if there is
	 260  only one variable, it is assigned the element; this is opposite to the
	 261  convention in Go range clauses.
	 262  
	 263  A variable's scope extends to the "end" action of the control structure ("if",
	 264  "with", or "range") in which it is declared, or to the end of the template if
	 265  there is no such control structure. A template invocation does not inherit
	 266  variables from the point of its invocation.
	 267  
	 268  When execution begins, $ is set to the data argument passed to Execute, that is,
	 269  to the starting value of dot.
	 270  
	 271  Examples
	 272  
	 273  Here are some example one-line templates demonstrating pipelines and variables.
	 274  All produce the quoted word "output":
	 275  
	 276  	{{"\"output\""}}
	 277  		A string constant.
	 278  	{{`"output"`}}
	 279  		A raw string constant.
	 280  	{{printf "%q" "output"}}
	 281  		A function call.
	 282  	{{"output" | printf "%q"}}
	 283  		A function call whose final argument comes from the previous
	 284  		command.
	 285  	{{printf "%q" (print "out" "put")}}
	 286  		A parenthesized argument.
	 287  	{{"put" | printf "%s%s" "out" | printf "%q"}}
	 288  		A more elaborate call.
	 289  	{{"output" | printf "%s" | printf "%q"}}
	 290  		A longer chain.
	 291  	{{with "output"}}{{printf "%q" .}}{{end}}
	 292  		A with action using dot.
	 293  	{{with $x := "output" | printf "%q"}}{{$x}}{{end}}
	 294  		A with action that creates and uses a variable.
	 295  	{{with $x := "output"}}{{printf "%q" $x}}{{end}}
	 296  		A with action that uses the variable in another action.
	 297  	{{with $x := "output"}}{{$x | printf "%q"}}{{end}}
	 298  		The same, but pipelined.
	 299  
	 300  Functions
	 301  
	 302  During execution functions are found in two function maps: first in the
	 303  template, then in the global function map. By default, no functions are defined
	 304  in the template but the Funcs method can be used to add them.
	 305  
	 306  Predefined global functions are named as follows.
	 307  
	 308  	and
	 309  		Returns the boolean AND of its arguments by returning the
	 310  		first empty argument or the last argument, that is,
	 311  		"and x y" behaves as "if x then y else x". All the
	 312  		arguments are evaluated.
	 313  	call
	 314  		Returns the result of calling the first argument, which
	 315  		must be a function, with the remaining arguments as parameters.
	 316  		Thus "call .X.Y 1 2" is, in Go notation, dot.X.Y(1, 2) where
	 317  		Y is a func-valued field, map entry, or the like.
	 318  		The first argument must be the result of an evaluation
	 319  		that yields a value of function type (as distinct from
	 320  		a predefined function such as print). The function must
	 321  		return either one or two result values, the second of which
	 322  		is of type error. If the arguments don't match the function
	 323  		or the returned error value is non-nil, execution stops.
	 324  	html
	 325  		Returns the escaped HTML equivalent of the textual
	 326  		representation of its arguments. This function is unavailable
	 327  		in html/template, with a few exceptions.
	 328  	index
	 329  		Returns the result of indexing its first argument by the
	 330  		following arguments. Thus "index x 1 2 3" is, in Go syntax,
	 331  		x[1][2][3]. Each indexed item must be a map, slice, or array.
	 332  	slice
	 333  		slice returns the result of slicing its first argument by the
	 334  		remaining arguments. Thus "slice x 1 2" is, in Go syntax, x[1:2],
	 335  		while "slice x" is x[:], "slice x 1" is x[1:], and "slice x 1 2 3"
	 336  		is x[1:2:3]. The first argument must be a string, slice, or array.
	 337  	js
	 338  		Returns the escaped JavaScript equivalent of the textual
	 339  		representation of its arguments.
	 340  	len
	 341  		Returns the integer length of its argument.
	 342  	not
	 343  		Returns the boolean negation of its single argument.
	 344  	or
	 345  		Returns the boolean OR of its arguments by returning the
	 346  		first non-empty argument or the last argument, that is,
	 347  		"or x y" behaves as "if x then x else y". All the
	 348  		arguments are evaluated.
	 349  	print
	 350  		An alias for fmt.Sprint
	 351  	printf
	 352  		An alias for fmt.Sprintf
	 353  	println
	 354  		An alias for fmt.Sprintln
	 355  	urlquery
	 356  		Returns the escaped value of the textual representation of
	 357  		its arguments in a form suitable for embedding in a URL query.
	 358  		This function is unavailable in html/template, with a few
	 359  		exceptions.
	 360  
	 361  The boolean functions take any zero value to be false and a non-zero
	 362  value to be true.
	 363  
	 364  There is also a set of binary comparison operators defined as
	 365  functions:
	 366  
	 367  	eq
	 368  		Returns the boolean truth of arg1 == arg2
	 369  	ne
	 370  		Returns the boolean truth of arg1 != arg2
	 371  	lt
	 372  		Returns the boolean truth of arg1 < arg2
	 373  	le
	 374  		Returns the boolean truth of arg1 <= arg2
	 375  	gt
	 376  		Returns the boolean truth of arg1 > arg2
	 377  	ge
	 378  		Returns the boolean truth of arg1 >= arg2
	 379  
	 380  For simpler multi-way equality tests, eq (only) accepts two or more
	 381  arguments and compares the second and subsequent to the first,
	 382  returning in effect
	 383  
	 384  	arg1==arg2 || arg1==arg3 || arg1==arg4 ...
	 385  
	 386  (Unlike with || in Go, however, eq is a function call and all the
	 387  arguments will be evaluated.)
	 388  
	 389  The comparison functions work on any values whose type Go defines as
	 390  comparable. For basic types such as integers, the rules are relaxed:
	 391  size and exact type are ignored, so any integer value, signed or unsigned,
	 392  may be compared with any other integer value. (The arithmetic value is compared,
	 393  not the bit pattern, so all negative integers are less than all unsigned integers.)
	 394  However, as usual, one may not compare an int with a float32 and so on.
	 395  
	 396  Associated templates
	 397  
	 398  Each template is named by a string specified when it is created. Also, each
	 399  template is associated with zero or more other templates that it may invoke by
	 400  name; such associations are transitive and form a name space of templates.
	 401  
	 402  A template may use a template invocation to instantiate another associated
	 403  template; see the explanation of the "template" action above. The name must be
	 404  that of a template associated with the template that contains the invocation.
	 405  
	 406  Nested template definitions
	 407  
	 408  When parsing a template, another template may be defined and associated with the
	 409  template being parsed. Template definitions must appear at the top level of the
	 410  template, much like global variables in a Go program.
	 411  
	 412  The syntax of such definitions is to surround each template declaration with a
	 413  "define" and "end" action.
	 414  
	 415  The define action names the template being created by providing a string
	 416  constant. Here is a simple example:
	 417  
	 418  	`{{define "T1"}}ONE{{end}}
	 419  	{{define "T2"}}TWO{{end}}
	 420  	{{define "T3"}}{{template "T1"}} {{template "T2"}}{{end}}
	 421  	{{template "T3"}}`
	 422  
	 423  This defines two templates, T1 and T2, and a third T3 that invokes the other two
	 424  when it is executed. Finally it invokes T3. If executed this template will
	 425  produce the text
	 426  
	 427  	ONE TWO
	 428  
	 429  By construction, a template may reside in only one association. If it's
	 430  necessary to have a template addressable from multiple associations, the
	 431  template definition must be parsed multiple times to create distinct *Template
	 432  values, or must be copied with the Clone or AddParseTree method.
	 433  
	 434  Parse may be called multiple times to assemble the various associated templates;
	 435  see the ParseFiles and ParseGlob functions and methods for simple ways to parse
	 436  related templates stored in files.
	 437  
	 438  A template may be executed directly or through ExecuteTemplate, which executes
	 439  an associated template identified by name. To invoke our example above, we
	 440  might write,
	 441  
	 442  	err := tmpl.Execute(os.Stdout, "no data needed")
	 443  	if err != nil {
	 444  		log.Fatalf("execution failed: %s", err)
	 445  	}
	 446  
	 447  or to invoke a particular template explicitly by name,
	 448  
	 449  	err := tmpl.ExecuteTemplate(os.Stdout, "T2", "no data needed")
	 450  	if err != nil {
	 451  		log.Fatalf("execution failed: %s", err)
	 452  	}
	 453  
	 454  */
	 455  package template
	 456  

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