Hi Brett -- 

> I've found myself spending extra cycles making sure the Read templates
> are updated whenever the Update templates are.  Laziness 
> demands that I
> consider how to automate that.
> 
> Now I could write a simple wrapper that generates the HTML for both,
> but that requires that all of my templates look the same, 
> which is very
> much not the case here, various apps are highly worked over by the
> designer.

What you've just described in the second paragraph is a compelling
argument *AGAINST* automating your page creation, as described in the
first.

Focus on the purpose of templates:

  * To allow the presentation to be separated from the code.  
  * To allow non-programmers to make changes to the presentation.

It is not at all surprising that there are different templates to
represent the same data.  That is a benefit -- not a liability.  By
trying to overload one template to perform both functions you are taking
power out of the hands of the template designer by making gross
assumptions about how the data will be visually presented.

Now, if your project is small enough that the person who is writing the
code is the same as the person who is slinging the HTML, then by all
means, assume away.  If you're using TT, then chances are your HTML
person also has Perl chops.  If you don't mind putting presentation
dependencies into your Perl code, then automate away.  (It's anathema to
me, but maybe it works for your environment.)

Warmest regards,

-Jesse-


--
 
Jesse Erlbaum
The Erlbaum Group
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Phone: 212-684-6161
Fax: 212-684-6226
 


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