Appendix E: DTML Name Lookup Rules

These are the rules which DTML uses to resolve names mentioned in name= and expr= tags. The rules are in order from first to last in the search path.

The DTML call signature is as follows:

def __call__(client=None, mapping={}, **kw)

The client argument is typically unreferenced in the body of DTML text, but typically resolves to the “context” in which the method was called (for example, in the simplest case, its client is the folder in which it lives).

The mapping argument is typically referred to as _ in the body of DTML text.

The keyword arguments (i.e. **kw ) are referred to by their respective names in the body of DTML text.

1. The keyword arguments are searched.
2. The mapping object is searched.
3. Attributes of the client, including inherited and acquired attributes, are searched.
4. If DTML is used in a Zope DTML Method or Document object and the variable name is document_id or document_title, then the id or title of the document or method is used.
5. Attributes of the folder containing the DTML object (its container) are searched. Attributes include objects in the contents of the folder, properties of the folder, and other attributes defined by Zope, such as ZopeTime. Folder attributes include the attributes of folders containing the folder, with contained folders taking precedence over containing folders.
6. User-defined Web-request variables (ie. in the REQUEST.other namespace) are searched.
7. Form-defined Web-request variables (ie. in the REQUEST.form namespace) are searched.
8. Cookie-defined Web-request variables (ie. in the REQUEST.cookies namespace) are searched.
9. CGI-defined Web-request variables (ie. in the REQUEST.environ namespace) are searched.