QueryTemplates 1.0 Beta3 is out since a week or so and next release is around the corner, so i decided to do some wrap-up of latest facts in library development:
- Extended data targets are no supported by all methods. This means each method can be re-targeted with jQuery insert methods like for example varsToSelectorBefore or even varsToSelectorAttr.
- New codeTo method type. It simply injects code groups. Idea evolved from methodTo approach, which would inject method calls. I find codeTo amuch more flexible and useful, but it can be less readable.
- New valuesToLoop method. In opposite to varsToLoop aka loop(), it will iterate existing data over DOM structure and commit it right away. This has less purpose on server side (but can be useful), but it’s essential on the client-side when you don’t want to make a server request.
- New conditional chains methods – onlyJS() and onlyPHP(). They allow to highly customize template for certain language. For example, everything between onlyPHP() and endOnly() will be applied only to PHP template, even when the same chain is used to create JS template.
- Light version for JavaScript is available. It contains all valuesTo methods which includes valuesToSelector, valuesToStack and valuesToLoop. Form methods and mutation events support will be next. It’s a jQuery plugin and demo is available.
- formFromVars will generate full form templates from structure and variable informations. Such form supports error messages and default values. Of course input-wrapper template is customizable. As for today there are couple of things to be done in this area and formFromValues will also be available soon.
- Syntax reference is complete. Each method has it’s own wiki page with 6-part example: markup, data, formula aka code, template, tree dump before and tree dump after. Also, new JavaScript Light version is included in this reference. User comment are allowed. Personally i think it’s the best part of project’s page ;)
- Some API refactorings had taken place. Old names are still accessible, but marked as deprecated.
- dumpTree is now more verbose and can be used both via HTML and plain text. Just do ->dumpTree() anywhere in the chain to see readable representation of selected structure. It’s used for syntax reference examples.
As you can see project is quite close to 1.0 final. Code seems stable and each method has pseudo-unit-test in form of example available in Syntax reference, which is generated as a real template. I just can’t wait to start implementing CSS interface i wrote before. Additionaly, as JavaScript version is out, there can be some use for jQueryServer.
