[suggestion] Template to Template includes

[Digi]

Not sure if this has ever been suggested before. I did a little searching and couldn't find anything similar to this. Technically you can do this, but the implementation (and presentation) is pretty ugly and it only works if the skin file has already been loaded. So here goes:

I'd like to see html logic added that allows a template to call for another template to be included. This would allow for components and IPB to load logic-less templates to others without PHP manipulation.

Here is an example of how this can be done currently (only if the template has been loaded in the php file):

<!-- some html code -->

{$this->ipsclass->compiled_templates['skin_something']->some_template()}

<!-- more html -->

If we were working with PHP 5 some easy manipulation, using magic methods, could be done to dynamically load skin files not yet loaded. However, I'm guessing this is unlikely :P On the simplest scale, I'd like to see something like this allowed in skin templates to load other files and include a template:

<!-- some html -->

<template parent="skin_global" bit="some_template"/>

<!--more html -->

Why you ask? Well, building some larger components makes a lot of print handling quite difficult when you want to include things like IPB's header and new versions of IPB come out. Allowing us to use methods like this, we can rely on ipsclass (and the original print class to a degree) to do what it does, while allowing our components to do what they do. Meaning that we've abstracted common IPB elements from components, which only means easier development on for IPB and any future component.

I realize that my reasons outweight my actual request, but I'm more looking for a starting point to ease in to stuff like I've mentioned. And of course this topic/idea can be expanded on by other developers and customers. :)

[Alex]

I'd also like to see this, we run into a issue with the board header with [AH23] Socialiser, because of dynamic banners it has to generate its own board header from the default IP.Board skin, but with some skins it completely screws it up, being able to call their version of the template would be extremely useful :)

+1