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String Template Resources {#resources.string}

Smarty can render templates from a string by using the string: or eval: resource.

  • The string: resource behaves much the same as a template file. The template source is compiled from a string and stores the compiled template code for later reuse. Each unique template string will create a new compiled template file. If your template strings are accessed frequently, this is a good choice. If you have frequently changing template strings (or strings with low reuse value), the eval: resource may be a better choice, as it doesn\'t save compiled templates to disk.

  • The eval: resource evaluates the template source every time a page is rendered. This is a good choice for strings with low reuse value. If the same string is accessed frequently, the string: resource may be a better choice.

Note

With a string: resource type, each unique string generates a compiled file. Smarty cannot detect a string that has changed, and therefore will generate a new compiled file for each unique string. It is important to choose the correct resource so that you do not fill your disk space with wasted compiled strings.

<?php
$smarty->assign('foo','value');
$template_string = 'display {$foo} here';
$smarty->display('string:'.$template_string); // compiles for later reuse
$smarty->display('eval:'.$template_string); // compiles every time
?>

From within a Smarty template

{include file="string:$template_string"} {* compiles for later reuse *}
{include file="eval:$template_string"} {* compiles every time *}

Both string: and eval: resources may be encoded with urlencode() or base64_encode(). This is not necessary for the usual use of string: and eval:, but is required when using either of them in conjunction with Extends Template Resource

 <?php
 $smarty->assign('foo','value');
 $template_string_urlencode = urlencode('display {$foo} here');
 $template_string_base64 = base64_encode('display {$foo} here');
 $smarty->display('eval:urlencode:'.$template_string_urlencode); // will decode string using urldecode()
 $smarty->display('eval:base64:'.$template_string_base64); // will decode string using base64_decode()
 ?>

From within a Smarty template

 {include file="string:urlencode:$template_string_urlencode"} {* will decode string using urldecode() *}
 {include file="eval:base64:$template_string_base64"} {* will decode string using base64_decode() *}