Variables

Notation:

$ [ ! ][ { ][ a..z, A..Z ][ a..z, A..Z, 0..9, -, _ ][ } ]

Examples:

• Shorthand notation: $mud-Slinger_9
• Silent Shorthand notation: $!mud-Slinger_9
• Formal notation: ${mud-Slinger_9}
• Silent Formal notation: $!{mud-Slinger_9}

Properties

Notation:

$ [ { ][ a..z, A..Z ][ a..z, A..Z, 0..9, -, _ ]* .[a..z, A..Z ][ a..z, A-Z, 0..9, -, _ ]* [ } ]

Examples:

• Regular Notation: $customer.Address
• Formal Notation: ${purchase.Total}

Methods

Notation:

$ [ { ][ a..z, A..Z ][ a..z, A..Z, 0..9, -, _ ]* .[ a..z, A..Z ][ a..z, A..Z, 0..9, -, _ ]*( [ optional parameter list... ] ) [ } ]

Examples:

• Regular Notation: $customer.getAddress()
• Formal Notation: ${purchase.getTotal()}
• Regular Notation with Parameter List: $page.setTitle( "My Home Page" )

#set - Establishes the value of a reference

Format:

# [ { ] set [ } ] ( $ref = [ ", ' ]arg[ ", ' ] )

Usage:

• $ref - The LHS of the assignment must be a variable reference or a property reference.
• arg - The RHS of the assignment, arg is parsed if enclosed in double quotes, and not parsed if enclosed in single quotes. If the RHS evaluates to null, it is not assigned to the LHS.

Examples:

• Variable reference: #set( $monkey = $bill )
• String literal: #set( $monkey.Friend = 'monica' )
• Property reference: #set( $monkey.Blame = $whitehouse.Leak )
• Method reference: #set( $monkey.Plan = $spindoctor.weave($web) )
• Number literal: #set( $monkey.Number = 123 )
• Range operator: #set( $monkey.Numbers = [1..3] )
• Object list: #set( $monkey.Say = ["Not", $my, "fault"] )
• Object map: #set( $monkey.Map = {"banana" : "good", "roast beef" : "bad"})

The RHS can also be a simple arithmetic expression, such as:

• Addition: #set( $value = $foo + 1 )
• Subtraction: #set( $value = $bar - 1 )
• Multiplication: #set( $value = $foo * $bar )
• Division: #set( $value = $foo / $bar )
• Remainder: #set( $value = $foo % $bar )

#if/#elseif/#else - Output conditional on truth of statements

Format:

# [ { ] if [ } ] ( [condition] ) [output] [ # [ { ] elseif [ } ] ( [condition] ) [output] ]* [ # [ { ] else [ } ] [output] ] # [ { ] end [ } ]

Usage:

• condition - If a boolean, considered true if it has a true false; if not a boolean, considered true if not null.
• output - May contain VTL.

Examples (showing different operators):

Notes:

1. The == operator can be used to compare numbers, strings, objects of the same class, or objects of different classes. In the last case (when objects are of different classes), the toString() method is called on each object and the resulting Strings are compared.
2. You can also use brackets to delimit directives. This is especially useful when text immediately follows an #else directive.

#if( $foo == $bar)it's true!#{else}it's not!#end</li>

#foreach - Loops through a list of objects

Format:

# [ { ] foreach [ } ] ($refinarg)statement# [ { ] end [ } ]

Usage:

• $ref - The first variable reference is the item.
• arg - May be one of the following: a reference to a list (i.e. object array, collection, or map), an array list, or the range operator.
• statement - What is output each time Velocity finds a valid item in the list denoted above as arg . This output is any valid VTL and is rendered each iteration of the loop.

Examples of the #foreach(), omitting the statement block :

• Reference: #foreach ( $item in $items )
• Array list: #foreach ( $item in ["Not", $my, "fault"] )
• Range operator: #foreach ( $item in [1..3] )

Velocity provides an easy way to get the loop counter so that you can do something like the following:

<table>
#foreach( $customer in $customerList )
    <tr><td>$velocityCount</td><td>$customer.Name</td></tr>
#end
</table>

The default name for the loop counter variable reference, which is specified in the velocity.properties file, is $velocityCount. By default the counter starts at 1, but this can be set to either 0 or 1 in the velocity.properties file. Here's what the loop counter properties section of the velocity.properties file appears:

# Default name of the loop counter
# variable reference.
directive.foreach.counter.name = velocityCount

# Default starting value of the loop
# counter variable reference.
directive.foreach.counter.initial.value = 1

Additionally, the maximum allowed number of loop iterations can be controlled engine-wide (an ability introduced in Velocity 1.5). By default, there is no limit:

# The maximum allowed number of loops.
directive.foreach.maxloops = -1

#include - Renders local file(s) that are not parsed by Velocity

Format:

# [ { ] include [ } ] ( arg[ arg2 ... argn] )

• arg - Refers to a valid file under TEMPLATE_ROOT.

Examples:

• String: #include( "disclaimer.txt" "opinion.txt" )
• Variable: #include( $foo $bar )

#parse - Renders a local template that is parsed by Velocity

Format:

# [ { ] parse [ } ] ( arg )

• arg - Refers to a template under TEMPLATE_ROOT.

Examples:

• String: #parse( "lecorbusier.vm" )
• Variable: #parse( $foo )

Recursion permitted. See parse_directive.maxdepth in velocity.properties to change from parse depth. (The default parse depth is 10.)

#stop - Stops the template engine

Format:

# [ { ] stop [ } ]

Usage:

This will stop execution of the current template. This is good for debugging a template.

#evaluate - Dynamically evaluates a string or reference

Format:

# [ { ] evaluate [ } ] ( arg )

• arg - String literal or reference to be dynamically evaluated.

Examples:

• String: #evaluate( 'string with VTL #if(true)will be displayed#end' )
• Variable: #include( $foo )

#define - Assigns a block of VTL to a reference

Format:

# [ { ] define [ } ] ( $ref )statement# [ { ] end [ } ]

• $ref - Reference that is assigned the VTL block as a value.
• statement - Statement that is assigned to the reference.

Example:

• #define( $hello ) Hello $who #end #set( $who = "World!") $hello ## displays Hello World!

#macro - Allows users to define a Velocimacro (VM), a repeated segment of a VTL template, as required

Format:

# [ { ] macro [ } ] ( vmname $arg1 [ $arg2 $arg3 ... $argn ] ) [ VM VTL code... ] # [ { ] #end [ } ]

• vmname - Name used to call the VM (#vmname)
• $arg1 $arg2 [ ... ] - Arguments to the VM. There can be any number of arguments, but the number used at invocation must match the number specified in the definition.
• [ VM VTL code... ] - Any valid VTL code, anything you can put into a template, can be put into a VM.

Once defined, the VM is used like any other VTL directive in a template.

#vmname( $arg1 $arg2 )

VMs can be defined in one of two places:

1. Template library: can be either VMs pre-packaged with Velocity or custom-made, user-defined, site-specific VMs; available from any template
2. Inline: found in regular templates, only usable when velocimacro.permissions.allowInline=true in velocity.properties.

Single Line

Example:

## This is a comment.

Multi Line

Example:

#*
This is a multiline comment.
This is the second line
*#