Summarized VTL Guide - Precisely_EnterWorks - EnterWorks - 11.0

Notation:

$ [ ! ][ { ][ a..z, A..Z ][ a..z, A..Z, 0..9, -, _ ][ } ]

Examples:

• Normal notation: $mud-Slinger_9
• Silent notation: $!mud-Slinger_9
• Formal notation: ${mud-Slinger_9}

Notation:

$ [ { ][ a..z, A..Z ][ a..z, A..Z, 0..9, -, _ ]* .[ a..z, A..Z ][ a..z, A..Z, 0..9, -, _ ]*( [ opional parameter list... ] ) [ } ]

Examples:

• Regular Notation: $customer.getAddress()
• Formal Notation: ${purchase.getTotal()}
• Regular Notation with Parameter List: $page.setTitle( "My Home Page" )

Format:

#set( $ref = [ ", ' ]arg[ ", ' ] )

Usage:

• $ref - The LHS of the assignment must be a variable reference or a property reference.
• arg - The RHS of the assignment, arg is parsed if enclosed in double quotes, and not parsed if enclosed in single quotes.

Examples:

• Variable reference: #set( $monkey = "bill" )
• String literal: #set( $monkey.Friend = "monica" )
• Property reference: #set( $monkey.Blame = $whitehouse.Leak )
• Method reference: #set( $monkey.Plan = $spindoctor.weave($web) )
• Number literal: #set( $monkey.Number = 123 )
• Object array: #set( $monkey.Say = ["Not", $my, "fault"] )

The RHS can also be a simple arithmetic expression, such as:

• Addition: #set( $value = $foo + 1 )
• Subtraction: #set( $value = $bar - 1 )
• Multiplication: #set( $value = $foo * $bar )
• Division: #set( $value = $foo / $bar )
• Remainder: #set( $value = $foo % $bar )

Format:

#if( [condition] ) [output] [ #elseif( [condition] ) [output] ]* [ #else [output] ] #end

Usage:

• condition - If a boolean, considered true if it has a true false; if not a boolean, considered true if not null.
• output - May contain VTL.

Examples:

• Equivalent Operator: #if( $foo == $bar )
• Greater Than: #if( $foo > 42 )
• Less Than: #if( $foo < 42 )
• Greater Than or Equal To: #if( $foo >= 42 )
• Less Than or Equal To: #if( $foo <= 42 )
• Equals Number: #if( $foo = 42 )
• Equals String: #if( $foo = "bar" )

Format:

#foreach( $ref1 in $ref2 ) [ statement... ] #end

Usage:

• $ref1 - The first variable reference is the item.
• $ref2 - The second variable reference is the list that holds the items.
• statement - What is output each time Velocity finds a valid item ($ref1) in the list ($ref2).

Velocity provides an easy way to get the loop counter so that you can do something like the following:

<table>
#foreach( $customer in $customerList )
	<tr><td>$velocityCount</td><td>$customer.Name</td></tr>
#end
</table>

The default name for the loop counter variable reference, which is specified in the velocity.properties file, is $velocityCount. By default the counter starts at 1, but this can be set to either 0 or 1 in the velocity.properties file. Here's what the loop counter properties section of the velocity.properties file appears:

# Default name of the loop counter
# variable refernce. counter.name = velocityCount
# Default starting value of the loop
# counter variable reference. counter.initial.value = 1

Format:

#include( arg[, arg2, ... argn] )

• arg - Refers to a valid file under TEMPLATE_ROOT.

Examples:

• String: #include( "disclaimer.txt", "opinion.txt" )
• Variable: #include( $foo, $bar )

Format:

#parse( arg )

• arg - Refers to a template under TEMPLATE_ROOT.

Examples:

• String: #parse( "lecorbusier.vm" )
• Variable: #parse( $foo )

Recursion permitted. See parse_directive.maxdepth in velocity.properties to change from parse depth. (The default parse depth is 10.)

Format:

#stop

Usage:

This will stop execution of the current template. This is good for debugging a template.

Format:

#macro( vmname $arg1[, $arg2, $arg3, ... $argn ] ) [ VM VTL code... ] #end

• vmname - Name used to call the VM (#vmname)
• $arg1 $arg2 [ ... ] - Arguments to the VM. There can be any number of argumentss, but the number used at invocation must match the number specified in the definition.
• [ VM VTL code... ] - Any valid VTL code, anything you can put into a template, can be put into a VM.

Once defined, the VM is used like any other VTL directive in a template.

VMs can be defined in one of two places:

1. Template library: can be either VMs pre-packaged with Velocity or custom-made, user-defined, site-specific VMs; available from any template
2. Inline: found in regular templates, only usable when velocimacro.permissions.allowInline=true in velocity.properties.

Comments are not rendered at runtime.

Single Line Example:

## This is a comment.

Multi-line Example:

#*

This is a multiline comment.

This is the second line

*#