[stringtemplate-interest] use template groups in a WAR

[Nate]

I am writing a web application. I want to use StringTemplate to generate 
the HTML pages. I want users to be able to select a "skin" from a list. 
Each skin would use a different set of templates to display the HTML.

My initial impression is that I'd use a different StringTemplateGroup 
for each skin. I imagined a file structure like this...

skins/redtheme/page.st
skins/redtheme/etc.st
skins/bluetheme/page.st
skins/bluetheme/etc.st

...the code would be something like...

skinName = "redtheme";
group = new StringTemplateGroup(skinName, "skins");
group.getInstanceOf("page");
group.getInstanceOf("etc");

This works fine on the filesystem. Now I zip my application up into a 
WAR file and suddenly the templates cannot be found. Next I think I 
should look up templates using the classpath. StringTemplate 
documentation leads me to think I need to use code like this...

skinName = "redtheme";
group = new StringTemplateGroup("allSkins");
group.getInstanceOf("skins/" + skinName + "/page");
group.getInstanceOf("skins/" + skinName + "/etc");

There is no "rootDir" when using the classpath, so I cannot use the a 
StringTemplateGroup for each skin, like I could on the filesystem.

What is the solution? How do other people do it? Why does it work so 
differently when JARed or WARed?

Regards,
Nathan Sweet