diff --git a/docs/api/variables/config-files.md b/docs/api/variables/config-files.md index 2989d505..181733ea 100644 --- a/docs/api/variables/config-files.md +++ b/docs/api/variables/config-files.md @@ -1 +1,89 @@ # Loading data from config files + +Instead of [assigning data to templates from PHP](assigning.md), you can also +use a config file. + +## Example config file +Config files are best suited to manage template settings +from one file. One example is a multi-language application. +Instead of writing multiple templates to support different languages, +you can write a single template file and load your language dependent strings +from config files. + +Example `lang.en.ini`: +```ini +# global variables +pageTitle = "Main Menu" + +[Customer] +pageTitle = "Customer Info" + +[Login] +pageTitle = "Login" +focus = "username" +Intro = """This is a value that spans more + than one line. you must enclose + it in triple quotes.""" + +``` + +Values of [config file variables](./language-variables/language-config-variables.md) can be in +quotes, but not necessary. You can use either single or double quotes. +If you have a value that spans more than one line, enclose the entire +value with triple quotes \("""\). You can put comments into config +files by any syntax that is not a valid config file syntax. We recommend +using a `#` (hash) at the beginning of the line. + +The example config file above has two sections. Section names are +enclosed in \[brackets\]. Section names can be arbitrary strings not +containing `[` or `]` symbols. The variable at the top is a global +variable. Global variables are always +loaded from the config file. If a particular section is loaded, then the +global variables and the variables from that section are also loaded. If +a variable exists both as a global and in a section, the section +variable is used. + +## Loading a config file + +Config files are loaded into templates with the built-in template +function [`{config_load}`](../../designers/language-builtin-functions/language-function-config-load.md) or by calling +`configLoad()` from PHP: + +```php +configLoad('lang.en.ini'); +``` + +Load a specific section with: + +```php +configLoad('lang.en.ini', 'Customer'); +``` + +Note that the global section will always be loaded. + +## Retrieving config variables in PHP + + +## Loading from a resource +Config files (or resources) are loaded by the same resource facilities +as templates. That means that a config file can also be loaded from a db. See [resources](../resources.md) +for more information. + +## Config overwrite +If you name two variables the same within a section, +the last one will be used unless you call: +```php +setConfigOverwrite(false); +``` +When config overwrite is disabled, Smarty will create arrays of config file variables when it encounters +multiple entries with the same name. + +See also [`{config_load}`](./language-builtin-functions/language-function-config-load.md), +[`$config_overwrite`](../programmers/api-variables/variable-config-overwrite.md), +[`$default_config_handler_func`](../programmers/api-variables/variable-default-config-handler-func.md), +[`getConfigVars()`](../programmers/api-functions/api-get-config-vars.md), +[`clearConfig()`](../programmers/api-functions/api-clear-config.md) and +[`configLoad()`](../programmers/api-functions/api-config-load.md)