[stringtemplate-interest] format="random string" harmful

[Kunle Odutola]

Hi,

Didn't get Ter's original message for some weird reason...  ??

> On Sun, Oct 01, 2006 at 02:57:30PM -0700, Terence Parr wrote:
> > Hi,
> >
> > I just realized that allowing the random format string to dictate
> > which function to call on some formatter object is way too big of a
> > whole.  It is the same thing as velocity that allows you to pass in a
> > model and call random methods on it.  Imagine:
> >
> > $"select * from Users"; format="query"$
> >
> > weird, but would call renderer.query("select * from Users").  Pass in
> > a DB object and we have a problem.

That problem already exists. AttributeRenderers can be misused.

> >    I think that I need to stay probably with a predefined set of
> > useful functions that you can apply to attributes.

That simply defers the custom formatting issue until someone needs a format
that isn't predefined. ST *still* needs a mechanism that enables a "View
Framework Developer" to support arbitrary rendering/formatting requirements
without violating model-view separation.

> "Standard formatting" limited to which of the following:
>
> * Capitalization, all/ partial/ first/ last.
> * MAC & IP address formatting functions.
> * Time & Date and TimeDate formatting.
> * Brief/Full Hereford (cattle) Statistic formatting.
> * CPU Model+Stepping+Manuf+...
> * ...
>
> There are two things needed here:
>
> 1) What criteria to decide which built-in formatting functions.

The 80/20 rule?. Include as many as we can of those functions that covers
the needs of 80% of applications.

> 2) What to tell people to do when they want something extra.

Hopefully, it will be to use ST's (to-be-developed) custom formatter API:

    e.g. $ip_name; format="ipaddress"$

AND

    public static class MyModelRenderer implements AttributeRenderer
    {
        public String toString(Object o)
        {
            ........
            ........
        }

        public String ipaddress(Object o)
        {
            ........
            ........
        }

    }


Kunle