Since this topic is on the list already, here's my response on the topic.

-sam

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 23 Jan 2003 13:45:02 -0500 (EST)
From: Sam Tregar <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: Robert <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: HTML Template versus Template Toolkit

On Thu, 23 Jan 2003, Robert wrote:

> Essentially, the argument in favor of using Template Toolkit is that it
> is much more powerful

This is true.  But with power comes great responsiblity.  Are your HTML
designers ready for this responsibility?

> and provides a more convenient way to pass variables to templates.

This is not true.  HTML::Template provides the simplest API of any
templating module in Perl.

> My understanding is that Template Toolkit is 'fat' and may require the
> use of mod_perl (or something similar) to speed things up.

It's certainly a larger and slower system than HTML::Template.
HTML::Template is, to my knowledge, the fastest templating system
available for Perl.  And using the (experimental and incomplete)
HTML::Template::JIT add-on, it's even faster than PHP.

> Of course, the programmer in favor of using HTML Template says I should
> run like hell from using anything like mod_perl.

That's odd.  I use HTML::Template with mod_perl almost exclusively.  The
two are a great combination and HTML::Template includes a caching mode
ideally suited to use with mod_perl.

> As the author of HTML Template, I'd appreciate any thoughts or comments
> you might have.

The most important issue in choosing between templating systems is your
evaluation of your HTML designers, not your programmers.  HTML::Template
supports a very simple template syntax which is modeled after HTML.  That
means that someone that only knows HTML can learn to create HTML::Template
templates very quickly.  Contrast this to Template Toolkit, where the
template syntax is essentially an entirely new programming language to
learn, and the difference is clear.

Also, HTML::Template enforces the division between coding in Perl and
design in HTML.  The movement of data is entirely one-way, from Perl code
to the template and from there to HTML in the browser.  This means that
the HTML templates can be created and maintained *entirely* separately
from the Perl code.  Using HTML::Template, a Perl coder does what he does
best, code in Perl, and your HTML designers do what they do best, design
in HTML.

All that aside, though, I don't want to leave you with the impression that
I think the Template Toolkit is no good.  It's actually a very well
designed system which just happens to meet different goals than the ones I
set for HTML::Template.  If you do end up using it you'll still be miles
ahead of the poor fools using JSP!

-sam





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