= Shortcut syntax ideas =

The Django view system is completely flexible and decoupled from the template system, but that flexibility leads to repetitive code when all you want to do is use Django templates. Let's add a "shortcut" syntax to make it super quick for people to write views that use the Django templates.

This page collects ideas on how shortcut syntax would work.

== Example ==

Each example on this page does the equivalent of this:

{{{
#!python
from django.core.template import Context
from django.core import template_loader
from django.utils.httpwrappers import HttpResponse

def prime_index(request):
    t = template_loader.get_template('primes/index')
    c = Context({
        'title': 'Page Title',
        'primes': [2, 3, 5, 7],
        'header': 'The first 4 primes',
    })
    return HttpResponse(t.render(c))
}}}

== Idea 1: Decorator ==

{{{
#!python
from django.views.decorators.shortcuts import page

@page('primes/index', title='Page Title')      # @page(template_name, **default_context)
def prime_index(request):
    yield {"primes": [2, 3, 5, 7]}
    yield {"header": 'The first 4 primes'}
}}}


''I think this is brilliant, but with a couple of hangups. Firstly, I think returning a single dictionary would make more sense (in most cases) than yielding - although I have no preblem with yield being supported as an alternative. Secondly, why yield single key dictionaries instead of tuple pairs?'' - SimonWillison

{{{
#!python
from django.views.decorators.shortcuts import page

# also:

@page('primes/index', title='Page Title')      # @page(template_name, **default_context)
def prime_index(request):
    primes = [2,3,5,7]
    header = "The first 4 primes"
    yield locals()
}}}

''I was merely trying to show that you can yield sequentially, and it would add to a single dict.  You could just as easily yield a single dictionary.  But I've found that sometimes it is nice to be able to yield items at different parts of the function.  Also, one can "yield locals()", which can be fun.  I've added it above'' - Brantley

== Idea 2: Class ==

{{{
#!python
from django.views.templated import TemplatedPage

class PrimeIndex(TemplatedPage):
    def get_context(self, request):
        return {'title': 'Page Title', 'primes': [2, 3, 5, 7], 'header': 'The first 4 primes:'}
prime_index = PrimeIndex('primes/index')
}}}

== Idea 3: Function ==

{{{
#!python
from django.core.extensions import load_and_render

def index(self, request):
     return load_and_render('index', 'title': 'Page Title', 'primes': [2, 3, 5, 7], 'header': 'The first 4 primes:')
}}}


== Implementations ==

=== Idea 1 ===

This goes in django.views.decorators.shortcuts:

{{{
#!python
class PageException(Exception):
    def __init__(self, arg):
        self.arg = arg
    
    def __call__(self):
        pass

class HttpResponseRedirect(PageException):    
    def __call__(self):
        return httpwrappers.HttpResponseRedirect(self.arg)

def page(template, **decorator_args):
    def _wrapper(fn):
        def _innerWrapper(request, **args):
            if (template):
                tmplt = template_loader.get_template(template)
                context_dict = decorator_args.copy()
            try:
                for i in fn(request, **args):
                    context_dict.update(i)
                context = Context(request, context_dict)
                return httpwrappers.HttpResponse(tmplt.render(context))
            except PageException, e:
                return e()
            
        return _innerWrapper
    return _wrapper
}}}

=== Idea 2 ===

=== Implementation ===

This goes in django.views.templated:

{{{
#!python
class TemplatedPage:
    def __init__(self, template_name):
        self.template_name = template_name

    def __call__(self, *args, **kwargs):
        t = template_loader.get_template(self.template_name)
        c = Context(self.get_context(*args, **kwargs))
        return HttpResponse(t.render(c))
}}}

=== Idea 3 ===

=== Implementation ===

This goes in django.core.extensions:
{{{
#!python
def load_and_render(template_name, dictionary, context=None):
    context = context or Context
    t = template_loader.get_template(template_name)
    c = context(dictionary)
    return HttpResponse(t.render(c))
}}}