Could you plz analyze this 'short' code (templating problem) ?

mayday

I know this post is of scary size, but I have no another way to represent the
problem.
Although it looks scary, it takes not more than 2 mins to get into the essence, so I beg you to help me out.

I have a big templating problem, trying to make some Address Book to work.

I'm working by the book "A Programmer’s Introduction to PHP 4.0" W. J. Gilmore, in which is that sample templating system.

But the given code doesn't work, and I think I know why is that.

book.php - template file 1

<html> 
<head> 
<title>:::::{page_title}:::::</title> 
</head> 
<body bgcolor="white"> 
<table cellpadding=2 cellspacing=2 width=600> 
<h1>Address Book: {letter}</h1> 
<tr><td> 
<a href="index.php?letter=a">A</a> | <a href="index.php?letter=b">B</a> | 
<a href="index.php?letter=c">C</a> | <a href="index.php?letter=d">D</a> | 
<a href="index.php?letter=e">E</a> | <a href="index.php?letter=f">F</a> | 
<a href="index.php?letter=g">G</a> | <a href="index.php?letter=h">H</a> | 
<a href="index.php?letter=i">I</a> | <a href="index.php?letter=j">J</a> | 
<a href="index.php?letter=k">K</a> | <a href="index.php?letter=l">L</a> | 
<a href="index.php?letter=m">M</a> | <a href="index.php?letter=n">N</a> | 
<a href="index.php?letter=o">O</a> | <a href="index.php?letter=p">P</a> | 
<a href="index.php?letter=q">Q</a> | <a href="index.php?letter=r">R</a> | 
<a href="index.php?letter=s">S</a> | <a href="index.php?letter=t">T</a> | 
<a href="index.php?letter=u">U</a> | <a href="index.php?letter=v">V</a> | 
<a href="index.php?letter=w">W</a> | <a href="index.php?letter=x">X</a> | 
<a href="index.php?letter=y">Y</a> | <a href="index.php?letter=z">Z</a> 
</td></tr> 
{rows.addresses} 
</table> 
</body> 
</html>

rows.addresses - template file 2

<tr><td bgcolor="#c0c0c0"> 
<b>{last_name},{first_name}</b> 
</td></tr> 
<tr><td> 
<b>{telephone}</b> 
</td></tr> 
<tr><td> 
<b><a href = "mailto:{email}">{email}</a></b> 
</td></tr>

index.php - executive(calling) file

<? 
include("template.class"); 
$page_title = "Address Book"; 
// The default page will retrieve persons having last name beginning with 'a' 
if (! isset($letter) ) : 
$letter = "a"; 
endif; 
$tpl = new template; 
$tpl->register_file("book", "book.php"); 
$tpl->register_variables("book", "page_title,letter"); 
$tpl->address_sql("book", "rows.addresses","$letter"); 
$tpl->file_parser("book"); 
$tpl->print_file("book"); 
?>

I've attached template.class file

Note that the third template variable {rows.addresses} has the dot in its name (not valid variable name).
By the registration of this var. (in address_sql function), autor simply forwarded file name (rows.addresses - the second templ.file) to variables array [marked with aaaaaaaa in the attached code].
Well, the sequence of events (index.php) is:
1) file registration (book.php)
2) registration of 2 variables ({page_title} and {letter}) - in my opinion the third var.{rows.addresses} can be registrated here too, but never mind.
3) preparing the collective variable $complete_table by filling it with the sequence of the
contents(html code) of rows.addresses templ. file, with the template vars {}, replaced with the corresponding sql query values.

The problem here is twofold:
a) rows.addresses is not a valid php var. name
b) prepared $complete_table var. is not forwarded to file_parser function (at least, I can't see that)

So, the result I get, is the first two templ. vars replaced, but not the third one (rows.addresses) which one actually represents the result of the query.
I've attached the image of what I get - i_get.gif, and what should it be - should_be.gif

To avoid these problems I made the following modifications:
- I've replaced {rows.addresses} with {rows} in book.php

I've introduced a new variable $rows in template.class. This variable should get the value of $complete_table,

VAR $rows = "";             

. . .
. . .
$complete_table .= $new_row; 
endwhile; 

$rows = $complete_table;     //THIS IS THE ESSENCE OF MODIFICATION       

// Assign table substitution string to SQL array key 
$sql_array_key = “rows”;                                   

$this->sql[$sql_array_key] = $rows;
                 //CAN'T SEE THE PURPOSE OF THIS SQL ARRAY, but no matter
// add the key to the variables array for later lookup 
$this->variables[$file_id][] = “rows”; //REGISTRATION OF THE THIRD(MY) VAR    


// Close the filehandle 
fclose($fh); 
. . .

and after, participate in file_parser function (its WHILE

loop) by replacement of template variable {rows}

// from TEMPLATE.CLASS
. . .
GLOBAL $$string;                       

// What exactly is to be replaced in the file contents? 
            $needle = $this->opening_escape.$string.$this->closing_escape; 
// Perform the string replacement. 
            $this->files[$file_id] = str_replace( 
            $needle, // needle 
            $$string, // string        

            $this->files[$file_id]); // haystack 
    // increment $x 
            $x++; 
            endwhile;
. . .

Well, now, in the third (while)loop iteration will be $string='rows',
subsequently GLOBAL $rows should represent the contents of
collective $complete_table variable.

But again the replacement of {rows} doesn't take place ???

What the **** I'm doing wrong ? :glare:

I would emphasize that my MySQl connection works ok, communication with the
'book'db through the command line is ok, 'addressbook' table filled out with
several records (for "a" letter, among them), permissions for the 'book'db
and all of php files are set to allowed to everyone.