The difference between $template->assign_vars & $template->assign_block_vars

SFDonovan

I can't get anything to appear using a template. I don't clearly understand these two functions.

NogDog

Since "assign_vars" and "assign_block_vars" are either properties or methods of the class instantiated as object $template, we are not going to know the difference either without knowing what that class definition looks like.

SFDonovan

I think assign_block_vars are for repeating records of a query of data.

For example if I want all questions based on course and creatdby:

$result = $db->sql_query("SELECT * FROM ".QUESTIONS_TABLE." q 
				JOIN ".COURSE_TABLE." c ON (q.course_id = c.course_id)
				JOIN ".USERS_TABLE." u ON (u.user_id = q.createdby)
				WHERE q.course_id = ".$course_id." AND q.createdby = ".$user_id."");

I then assign the values:

$template->assign_block_vars('question',array(
											'qid' => $question['question_id'],
											'NAME' => $question['ques_name'],
											'STEM' => nl2br($question['stem'])."<br>",
											'MEDIA' => $media."<br>",
											'FEED' => $question['feedback']."<br>"));

$ca = $question['cat_id'];
			switch ($question['qtype']) {

				case MULTIPLECHOICE :
				{
					$letters = array("A.","B.","C.","D.","E.", "F.");
					$points = explode ("#", $question['points'] );
					for ( $z = 0; $z < 6; $z++) {
						if (!empty($question['choice'.($z+1)])) {

							$ques_options =$question['choice'.($z+1)].'&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="helptext">('.$points[$z]." point ) </span>";
							$template->assign_block_vars('question.options',array( 'ATTRIBUTES' => $ques_options, 'OPTION_ID' => $letters[$z] ));

						}					
					}	
					break;

			} // eof switch

Then output the page.

$template->pparse('body');

It's just that I am not getting any output other than an empty template.

<table width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="1"  class="bodyline">
	<tr>
		<td  height="140" valign="top">
			<table width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0">
<!-- BEGIN user --> 
			<tr>
				<td>                 

				<table width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0" class="borderline" align="center">
 <tr> 
   <td align="left" valign="top">
	<table width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"  class="bodyline">
	<tr>
		<td  height="240" valign="top">
<!-- BEGIN question -->
			<form name="" action="" method="post">
			<table cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" border="0" width="98%" align="center">
			<tr>
				<td width="20">&nbsp;</td>
				<td>{question.NAME}</td>
			</tr>
			<tr><td colspan="2" class="gen">{question.STEM}<p></p>{question.MEDIA}</td></tr>
<!-- BEGIN options -->
			<tr>
				<td class="gen" align="center">{question.options.OPTION_ID}</td>
				<td class="gen">{question.options.ATTRIBUTES}</td>
			</tr>
<!-- END options -->
			</table>
	<table width="100%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" border="0"  class="bodyline">
			<tr>
				<td align="left">&nbsp;</td>
				<td align="left">&nbsp;</td>
			</tr>
			<tr><td class="gen">Feedback:<br><br>{question.FEED}</td></tr>
			</table>
			</form>
<!-- END question -->		
		</td>
	</tr>

</table>
  </td>
</tr>

</table>
</td></tr>
</table>

SFDonovan

Anybody have any ideas?

I can code

while ($question = $db->sql_fetchrow($result)) 	{	

$stem = $question['stem'];
$name = $question['ques_name'];
$feed = $question['feedback'];

then I can echo these out for testing purposes and they display fine.

I just can't seem to pass these to render in the template.

halojoy

SFDonovan wrote:
Anybody have any ideas?

Then I can echo these out for testing purposes and they display fine.

I just can't seem to pass these to render in the template.

To join in with NogDog comment:

We dont even know what script you are using.
What file have these functions?

Look for them inside some file included right before
$template = new .......()

include ( 'templateClass.php' );
$template = new xxxxxx();

Now to find out how to use those functions,
you maybe better goto the website, where this script was developed (same site where you downloaded)
and look for Documentation or User guide or Instructions /howto.

Without even know the name of the script you are using
we will just be making guesses straight into the blue (... sky).

Regards

SFDonovan

I apologize for being so dense. I am using the phpBB template engine.

template.php

function assign_block_vars($blockname, $vararray)
	{	
		if (strstr($blockname, '.'))
		{
			// Nested block.
			$blocks = explode('.', $blockname);
			$blockcount = sizeof($blocks) - 1;
			$str = '$this->_tpldata';

		for ($i = 0; $i < $blockcount; $i++)
		{
			$str .= '[\'' . $blocks[$i] . '.\']';
			eval('$lastiteration = sizeof(' . $str . ') - 1;');
			$str .= '[' . $lastiteration . ']';
//				echo "$str &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;";				
			}
			// Now we add the block that we're actually assigning to.
			// We're adding a new iteration to this block with the given
			// variable assignments.
			$str .= '[\'' . $blocks[$blockcount] . '.\'][] = $vararray;';

		// Now we evaluate this assignment we've built up.
		eval($str);
	}
	else
	{
		// Top-level block.
		// Add a new iteration to this block with the variable assignments
		// we were given.
//			echo $blockname.'<br>';
			$this->_tpldata[$blockname . '.'][] = $vararray;
		}

	return true;
}

SFDonovan

Is anybody familiar with the phpBB template engine? I could use some help troubleshooting. It seemed simple enough but I'm currently at a standstill.