What are “templates” and should we remove or fix them?

[cassidyjames]

I'm finding references to a TemplateManager and templates throughout Code, but I've literally never seen them and have no idea what it's supposed to be. So my question for discussion is:

1. What are they supposed to be?
2. Should we remove them, or fix them?

---

code/src/Services/TemplateManager.vala

Lines 1 to 268 in ceb3b1f

	/*
	* Copyright (C) 2011-2012 Lucas Baudin <xapantu@gmail.com>
	* 2013 Mario Guerriero <mario@elementaryos.org>
	*
	* This file is part of Code.
	*
	* Code is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it
	* under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the
	* Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
	* (at your option) any later version.
	*
	* Code is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but
	* WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
	* MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
	* See the GNU General Public License for more details.
	*
	* You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along
	* with this program. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
	*/
	public abstract class Scratch.Template : Object {
	public abstract Gtk.Widget get_creation_box ();
	public abstract signal void loaded (File file);
	public static void configure_template (string origin, string destination, Gee.HashMap<string, string> variables) {
	debug ("Origin: %s, destination: %s\n", origin, destination);
	configure_directory (File.new_for_path (origin), File.new_for_path (destination), variables);
	}
	static void configure_directory (File origin, File destination, Gee.HashMap<string, string> variables) {
	/* First, let's check that these files actually exists and are directory */
	bool is_directory, exists;
	info_directory (origin, out is_directory, out exists);
	if (!is_directory || !exists) {
	warning ("Origin directory doesn't exist or isn't a directory.");
	return;
	}
	info_directory (destination, out is_directory, out exists);
	if (is_directory || exists) {
	warning ("Destination directory already exists…");
	return;
	}
	try {
	destination.make_directory ();
	} catch (Error e) {
	critical (e.message);
	return;
	}
	var files = new Gee.TreeSet<FileInfo> ();
	var dirs = new Gee.TreeSet<File> ();
	enumerate_directory (origin, files, dirs);
	foreach (var file in files) {
	var content_type = file.get_content_type ();
	if ("text" in content_type || "x-desktop" in content_type) {
	var gfile = File.new_for_path (Path.build_filename (origin.get_path (), file.get_name ()));
	string content = Scratch.Services.FileHandler.load_content_from_file_sync (gfile);
	if (variables != null) {
	foreach (var entry in variables.entries) {
	content = content.replace ("$$" + entry.key, entry.value);
	}
	}
	try {
	string dest_path = Path.build_filename (destination.get_path (), file.get_name ());
	foreach (var entry in variables.entries) {
	dest_path = dest_path.replace ("$$" + entry.key, entry.value);
	}
	FileUtils.set_contents (dest_path, content);
	} catch (Error e) {
	warning (e.message);
	}
	} else {
	try {
	var orig = File.new_for_path (Path.build_filename (origin.get_path (), file.get_name ()));
	var dest = File.new_for_path (Path.build_filename (destination.get_path (), file.get_name ()));
	orig.copy (dest, 0);
	} catch (Error e) {
	critical (e.message);
	return;
	}
	}
	}
	foreach (var dir in dirs) {
	configure_directory (dir, File.new_for_path (destination.get_path () + "/" + dir.get_basename ()), variables);
	}
	}
	public static void enumerate_directory (File origin, Gee.TreeSet<FileInfo> files, Gee.TreeSet<File> directories) {
	try {
	var enumerator = origin.enumerate_children ("standard::type,standard::name,standard::content-type", 0);
	for (var file_info = enumerator.next_file (); file_info != null; file_info = enumerator.next_file ()) {
	switch (file_info.get_file_type ()) {
	case FileType.DIRECTORY:
	directories.add (File.new_for_path (origin.get_path () + "/" + file_info.get_name ()));
	continue;
	case FileType.REGULAR:
	files.add (file_info);
	continue;
	}
	}
	} catch (Error e) {
	critical (e.message);
	return;
	}
	}
	public static void info_directory (File file, out bool is_directory, out bool exists) {
	//var origin_info = origin.query_info ("standard::type", 0);
	var file_type = file.query_file_type (0 /* info flags: none */);
	exists = file_type != FileType.UNKNOWN;
	is_directory = file_type == FileType.DIRECTORY;
	}
	}
	public class Scratch.TestTemplate : Template {
	public override Gtk.Widget get_creation_box () {
	return new Gtk.Label ("Test");
	}
	}
	public class TemplateButton : Gtk.Button {
	private Gtk.Image icon_image;
	public TemplateButton (string title, string description, string icon) {
	can_focus = false;
	set_relief (Gtk.ReliefStyle.NONE);
	var main_box = new Gtk.Box (Gtk.Orientation.HORIZONTAL, 3);
	var text_box = new Gtk.Box (Gtk.Orientation.VERTICAL, 3);
	text_box.halign = Gtk.Align.START;
	var title_label = new Gtk.Label (Markup.printf_escaped ("<span weight='medium' size='11700'>%s</span>", title));
	title_label.use_markup = true;
	title_label.ellipsize = Pango.EllipsizeMode.END;
	title_label.halign = Gtk.Align.START;
	title_label.valign = Gtk.Align.START;
	var description_label = new Gtk.Label (Markup.printf_escaped ("<span weight='medium' size='11400'>%s</span>", description));
	description_label.use_markup = true;
	description_label.ellipsize = Pango.EllipsizeMode.END;
	description_label.halign = Gtk.Align.START;
	description_label.valign = Gtk.Align.START;
	description_label.sensitive = false;
	icon_image = new Gtk.Image.from_icon_name (icon, Gtk.IconSize.DIALOG);
	icon_image.halign = Gtk.Align.START;
	text_box.pack_start (new Gtk.Box (Gtk.Orientation.HORIZONTAL, 0), true, true, 0); // Top spacing
	text_box.pack_start (title_label, false, false, 0);
	text_box.pack_start (description_label, false, false, 0);
	text_box.pack_start (new Gtk.Box (Gtk.Orientation.HORIZONTAL, 0), true, true, 0); // Bottom spacing
	main_box.pack_start (icon_image, false, true, 0);
	main_box.pack_start (text_box, false, true, 0);
	this.add (main_box);
	this.show_all ();
	}
	public void set_icon_from_pixbuf (Gdk.Pixbuf pixbuf) {
	icon_image.set_from_pixbuf (pixbuf);
	}
	}
	/**
	* Global Template Manager for Scratch. Only one instance of this object should
	* be used at once. It is created by the main Granite.Application (ScratchApp) and
	* a reference can be got from the plugin manager.
	**/
	public class Scratch.TemplateManager : GLib.Object {
	private Gtk.Dialog dialog;
	private Scratch.Template current_template;
	private Gtk.Widget? parent = null;
	private Gtk.Grid grid;
	private int n_columns = 0; // One column
	private int left = 0; // No more than 1
	private int top = 0; // No more than 1
	private int width = 1; // Event 1
	private int height = 1; // Event 1
	public bool template_available = false;
	public signal void template_loaded (Template template, File file);
	public TemplateManager () {
	dialog = new Gtk.Dialog ();
	dialog.title = _("Templates");
	this.grid = new Gtk.Grid ();
	this.grid.margin = 5;
	this.grid.row_spacing = 5;
	this.grid.column_spacing = 5;
	this.grid.row_homogeneous = true;
	this.grid.column_homogeneous = true;
	// Viewport
	var scroll = new Gtk.ScrolledWindow (null, null);
	scroll.height_request = 250;
	scroll.set_policy (Gtk.PolicyType.NEVER, Gtk.PolicyType.AUTOMATIC);
	scroll.add (grid);
	dialog.get_content_area ().pack_start (scroll);
	//register_template ("text-editor", "Sample", "sample template", typeof(TestTemplate));
	}
	/**
	* Register a new template
	*
	* @param icon_id the icon id used in the IconView which shows all the template.
	* It will be used to launch an icon via Gtk.IconTheme.load_icon, so, any icon is
	* fine.
	* @param label The name of your template.
	* @param template_type The object type which must be instanciated when we click on
	* the icon on the IconView. It will be used to get the creation box and therefore must
	* inherit from #Scratch.Template.
	**/
	public void register_template (string icon_id, string label, string description, Type template_type) {
	var button = new TemplateButton (label, description, icon_id);
	append_button (button);
	button.clicked.connect (() => {
	current_template = (Scratch.Template) Object.new (template_type);
	this.dialog.hide ();
	var window = new Gtk.Dialog ();
	window.title = label;
	if (parent != null) window.set_transient_for ((Gtk.Window)parent);
	window.add (current_template.get_creation_box ());
	window.show_all ();
	current_template.loaded.connect ((file) => {
	template_loaded (current_template, file);
	});
	});
	template_available = true;
	}
	private void append_button (Gtk.Widget button) {
	if (left > n_columns)
	left = 0;
	this.grid.attach (button, left, top, width, height);
	button.show ();
	if (left == n_columns) top++;
	left++;
	}
	/**
	* Show a dialog which contains an #Gtk.IconView with all templates available.
	*
	* @param parent The parent window, or null.
	**/
	public void show_window (Gtk.Widget? parent) {
	this.parent = parent;
	if (template_available) {
	if (parent != null) dialog.set_transient_for ((Gtk.Window)parent);
	dialog.show_all ();
	}
	}
	}

code/src/Services/PluginManager.vala

Lines 35 to 41 in ceb3b1f

	public Scratch.TemplateManager template_manager { private set; get; }
	public Interface (PluginsManager manager) {
	this.manager = manager;
	template_manager = new Scratch.TemplateManager ();
	}

code/src/MainWindow.vala

Lines 255 to 258 in 7b6e331

	toolbar.templates_button.visible = (plugins.plugin_iface.template_manager.template_available);
	plugins.plugin_iface.template_manager.notify["template_available"].connect (() => {
	toolbar.templates_button.visible = (plugins.plugin_iface.template_manager.template_available);
	});

code/src/MainWindow.vala

Lines 905 to 907 in 7b6e331

	private void action_templates () {
	plugins.plugin_iface.template_manager.show_window (this);
	}

code/src/Widgets/HeaderBar.vala

Lines 52 to 54 in aff18f8

	templates_button = new Gtk.Button.from_icon_name ("text-x-generic-template", Gtk.IconSize.LARGE_TOOLBAR);
	templates_button.action_name = MainWindow.ACTION_PREFIX + MainWindow.ACTION_TEMPLATES;
	templates_button.tooltip_text = _("Project templates");

[pofart]

Hello @cassidyjames !
I wish there was a feature like templates, from time to time I write something like simple bug reports, and it would speed up my work a bit, since my main text editor is yours Code!
Thanks for your works!

[jeremypw]

I would be willing to complete this function if thought useful for Code's current purpose. As far as I can tell the intention is to have templates containing keyed placeholders that are replaced by variable text on creating a new document from them. However there is no UI for creating templates of this type nor for using them and for specifying what text replaces the placeholders.

Much the same functionality is already available by copying a file from the existing home Templates folder and using Search/Replace to fill in placeholders.