NAME

Text::Xslate::Manual::Cookbook - How to cook Xslate templates

DESCRIPTION

The Xslate cookbook is a set of recipes showing Xslate features.

RECIPES

How to manage HTML forms

Managing HTML forms is an important issue for web applications. You're better off using modules that manage HTML forms rather than managing this yourself in your templates. This section proposes two basic solutions: using FillInForm and HTML form builders.

In both solutions, you should not use the "mark_raw" filter in templates, which easily creates security holes. Instead, application code should be responsible for calling the "mark_raw" function that "Text::Xslate" can export.

Using FillInForm

One solution to manage HTML forms is to use FillInForm modules with the block filter syntax.

Example code using "HTML::FillInForm":

    #!perl -w
    use strict;
    use Text::Xslate qw(html_builder);

    use HTML::FillInForm; # HTML::FillInForm::Lite is okay

    sub fillinform {
        my($q) = @_;
        my $fif = HTML::FillInForm->new();
        return html_builder {
            my($html) = @_;
            return $fif->fill(\$html, $q);
        };
    }

    my $tx = Text::Xslate->new(
        function => {
            fillinform => \&fillinform,
        },
    );

    my %vars = (
        q => { foo => "<filled value>" },
    );
    print $tx->render_string(<<'T', \%vars);
    FillInForm:
    : block form | fillinform($q) -> {
    <form>
    <input type="text" name="foo" />
    </form>
    : }
    T

Output:

    FillInForm:
    <form>
    <input type="text" name="foo" value="&lt;filled value&gt;" />
    </form>

Because HTML::FillInForm::Lite provides a "fillinform" function, it becomes even simpler:

    use HTML::FillInForm::Lite qw(fillinform);

    my $tx = Text::Xslate->new(
        function => { fillinform => html_builder(\&fillinform) },
    );

From 1.5018 on, "html_builder_module" is supported for HTML builder modules like "HTML::FillInForm". Just import HTML builder functions with "html_builder_module" option.

    my $tx = Text::Xslate->new(
        html_builder_module => [ 'HTML::FillInForm::Lite' => [qw(fillinform)] ],
    );

See also HTML::FillInForm or HTML::FillInForm::Lite for details.

Using HTML form builders

Another solution to manage HTML forms is to use form builders. In such cases, all you have to do is to apply "mark_raw()" to HTML parts.

Here is a PSGI application that uses "HTML::Shakan":

    #!psgi
    use strict;
    use warnings;
    use Text::Xslate qw(mark_raw);
    use HTML::Shakan;
    use Plack::Request;

    my $tx = Text::Xslate->new();

    sub app {
        my($env) = @_;
        my $req  = Plack::Request->new($env);

        my $shakan = HTML::Shakan->new(
            request => $req,
            fields  => [ TextField(name => 'name', label => 'Your name: ') ],
        );

        my $res = $req->new_response(200);

        # do mark_raw here, not in templates
        my $form = mark_raw($shakan->render());
        $res->body( $tx->render_string(<<'T', { form => $form }) );
    <!doctype html>
    <html>
    <head><title>Building form</title></head>
    <body>
    <form>
    <p>
    Form:<br />
    <: $form :>
    </p>
    </body>
    </html>
    T
        return $res->finalize();

    }

    return \&app;

Output:

    <!doctype html>
    <html>
    <head><title>Building form</title></head>
    <body>
    <form>
    <p>
    Form:<br />
    <label for="id_name">Your name</label>
    <input id="id_name" name="name" type="text" value="&lt;Xslate&gt;" />
    </p>
    </body>
    </html>

How to use Template Toolkit's WRAPPER feature in Kolon

Use template cascading, which is a super-set of the "WRAPPER" directive.

wrapper.tx:

    <div class="wrapper">
    block content -> { }
    </div>

content.tx

    : cascade wrapper

    : override content -> {
        Hello, world!
    : }

Output:

    <div class="wrapper">
        Hello, world!
    </div>

Template cascading

Xslate supports template cascading, which allows you to extend templates with block modifiers. It is like traditional template inclusion, but is more powerful.

This mechanism is also called as template inheritance.

See also "Template cascading" in Text::Xslate.

How to map DATA sections to the include path

Use "Data::Section::Simple", and the "path" option of "new()", which accepts HASH references which contain "$file_name => $content" mapping.

    use Text::Xslate;
    use Data::Section::Simple;

    my $vpath = Data::Section::Simple->new()->get_data_section();
    my $tx = Text::Xslate->new(
        path => [$vpath],
    );

    print $tx->render('child.tx');

    __DATA__
    @@ base.tx
    <html>
    <body><: block body -> { :>default body<: } :></body>
    </html>
    @@ child.tx
    : cascade base;
    : override body -> {
    child body
    : } # endblock body

This feature is directly inspired by Text::MicroTemplate::DataSection, and originated from Mojolicious.

See also Data::Section::Simple, Text::MicroTemplate::DataSection, and Mojolicious.

How to interpolate data into JavaScript sections without XSS

Because Xslate escapes only HTML meta characters, you must escape JavaScript meta characters by yourself when you put data into "<script> ... </script>" sections.

The "JSON" module is not suitable because it doesn't escape some meta characters such as "</script>".

It is better to use utilities proven to be secure for JavaScript escaping to avoid XSS. JavaScript::Value::Escape helps you in this regard.

    my $tx = Text::Xslate->new(
        module => ['JavaScript::Value::Escape' => [qw(js)]],
        );

    my %params = (
        user_input => '</script><script>alert("XSS")</script>',
        );

    print $tx->render_string(<<'T', \%params);
    <script>
    document.write('<: $user_input | html | js :>');
    var user_input = '<: $user_input | js :>';
    </script>
    T

You'd better to consult the security experts on more complex cases.

How to interpolate structured texts into HTML without XSS

There's no silver bullet to parse structured texts in secure ways. You'd better to consult the security experts to do so.

Some CPAN module might help you. See String::Filter for example.

How to manage localization in templates

You can register any functions including "_()", so no specific techniques are required.

For example:

    use I18N::Handle;
    # I18N::Handle installs the locale function "_" to the global namespace.
    # (remember the symbol *_ is global)
    I18N::Handle->new( ... )->speak('zh_tw');

    my $tx = Text::Xslate->new(
        function => {
            _ => \&_,
        },
    );

Then in your templates:

    <: _('Hello %1', $john ) :>

How to load templates before "fork()"ing?

It is a good idea to load templates in preforking-model applications. Here is an example to load all the templates which is in a given path:

    use File::Find;

    my $path = ...;
    my $tx = Text::Xslate->new(
        path      => [$path],
        cache_dir =>  $path,
    );

    # pre-load files
    find sub {
        if(/\.tx$/) {
            my $file = $File::Find::name;
            $file =~ s/\Q$path\E .//xsm; # fix path names
            $tx->load_file($file);
        }
    }, $path;

    # fork and render ...