7.6 #include

Syntax:

#include [raw] FILENAME_EXPR
#include [raw] source=STRING_EXPR

The #include directive is used to include text from outside the template definition. The text can come from an external file or from a $placeholder variable. When working with external files, Cheetah will monitor for changes to the included file and update as necessary.

This example demonstrates its use with external files:

#include "includeFileName.txt"

The content of "includeFileName.txt" will be parsed for Cheetah syntax.

And this example demonstrates use with $placeholder variables:

#include source=$myParseText

The value of $myParseText will be parsed for Cheetah syntax. This is not the same as simply placing the $placeholder tag ``$myParseText'' in the template definition. In the latter case, the value of $myParseText would not be parsed.

By default, included text will be parsed for Cheetah tags. The argument ``raw'' can be used to suppress the parsing.

#include raw "includeFileName.txt"
#include raw source=$myParseText

Cheetah wraps each chunk of #include text inside a nested Template object. Each nested template has a copy of the main template's searchList. However, #set variables are visible across includes only if the defined using the #set global keyword.

All directives must be balanced in the include file. That is, if you start a #for or #if block inside the include, you must end it in the same include. (This is unlike PHP, which allows unbalanced constructs in include files.)