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<div class="chapter" title="Chapter 4. Variables">
<div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title">
<a name="language.variables"></a>Chapter 4. Variables</h2></div></div></div>
<div class="toc">
<p><b>Table of Contents</b></p>
<dl>
<dt><span class="sect1"><a href="language.variables.html#language.assigned.variables">Variables assigned from PHP</a></span></dt>
<dd><dl>
<dt><span class="sect2"><a href="language.variables.html#language.variables.assoc.arrays">Associative arrays</a></span></dt>
<dt><span class="sect2"><a href="language.variables.html#language.variables.array.indexes">Array indexes</a></span></dt>
<dt><span class="sect2"><a href="language.variables.html#language.variables.objects">Objects</a></span></dt>
</dl></dd>
<dt><span class="sect1"><a href="language.config.variables.html">Variables loaded from config files</a></span></dt>
<dt><span class="sect1"><a href="language.variables.smarty.html">{$smarty} reserved variable</a></span></dt>
<dd><dl>
<dt><span class="sect2"><a href="language.variables.smarty.html#language.variables.smarty.request">Request variables</a></span></dt>
<dt><span class="sect2"><a href="language.variables.smarty.html#language.variables.smarty.now">{$smarty.now}</a></span></dt>
<dt><span class="sect2"><a href="language.variables.smarty.html#language.variables.smarty.const">{$smarty.const}</a></span></dt>
<dt><span class="sect2"><a href="language.variables.smarty.html#language.variables.smarty.capture">{$smarty.capture}</a></span></dt>
<dt><span class="sect2"><a href="language.variables.smarty.html#language.variables.smarty.config">{$smarty.config}</a></span></dt>
<dt><span class="sect2"><a href="language.variables.smarty.html#language.variables.smarty.loops">{$smarty.section}, {$smarty.foreach}</a></span></dt>
<dt><span class="sect2"><a href="language.variables.smarty.html#language.variables.smarty.template">{$smarty.template}</a></span></dt>
<dt><span class="sect2"><a href="language.variables.smarty.html#language.variables.smarty.version">{$smarty.version}</a></span></dt>
<dt><span class="sect2"><a href="language.variables.smarty.html#language.variables.smarty.ldelim">{$smarty.ldelim}, {$smarty.rdelim}</a></span></dt>
</dl></dd>
</dl>
</div>
<p>
Smarty has several different types of variables. The type of the variable
depends on what symbol it is prefixed or enclosed within.
</p>
<p>
Variables in Smarty can be either displayed directly or used as arguments
for <a class="link" href="language.syntax.functions.html" title="Functions">functions</a>,
<a class="link" href="language.syntax.attributes.html" title="Attributes">attributes</a> and
<a class="link" href="language.modifiers.html" title="Chapter 5. Variable Modifiers">modifiers</a>, inside conditional expressions,
etc. To print a variable, simply enclose it in the
<a class="link" href="variable.left.delimiter.html" title="$left_delimiter">delimiters</a> so that it
is the only thing contained between them.
</p>
<div class="example">
<a name="id3026588"></a><p class="title"><b>Example 4.1. Example variables</b></p>
<div class="example-contents"><pre class="programlisting">
{$Name}
{$product.part_no} <b>{$product.description}</b>
{$Contacts[row].Phone}
<body bgcolor="{#bgcolor#}">
</pre></div>
</div>
<p><br class="example-break">
</p>
<div class="note" title="Top Tip" style="margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0.5in;">
<h3 class="title">Top Tip</h3>
<p>An easy way to examine Smarty variables is with the
<a class="link" href="chapter.debugging.console.html" title="Chapter 10. Debugging Console">debugging console</a>.
</p>
</div>
<p>
</p>
<div class="sect1" title="Variables assigned from PHP">
<div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both">
<a name="language.assigned.variables"></a>Variables assigned from PHP</h2></div></div></div>
<p>
Variables that are
<a class="link" href="api.assign.html" title="assign()">assigned</a> from PHP are referenced by
preceding them with a dollar sign <code class="literal">$</code> (like php).
Variables assigned from within a template with the
<a class="link" href="language.custom.functions.html#language.function.assign" title="{assign}"><code class="varname">{assign}</code></a>
function are also displayed this way.
</p>
<div class="example">
<a name="id3026701"></a><p class="title"><b>Example 4.2. Assigned variables</b></p>
<div class="example-contents">
<p> php script</p>
<pre class="programlisting">
<?php
$smarty = new Smarty();
$smarty->assign('firstname', 'Doug');
$smarty->assign('lastname', 'Evans');
$smarty->assign('meetingPlace', 'New York');
$smarty->display('index.tpl');
?>
</pre>
<p>
where the content of <code class="filename">index.tpl</code> is:
</p>
<pre class="programlisting">
Hello {$firstname} {$lastname}, glad to see you can make it.
<br />
{* this will not work as $variables are case sensitive *}
This weeks meeting is in {$meetingplace}.
{* this will work *}
This weeks meeting is in {$meetingPlace}.
</pre>
<p>
This above would output:
</p>
<pre class="screen">
Hello Doug Evans, glad to see you can make it.
<br />
This weeks meeting is in .
This weeks meeting is in New York.
</pre>
</div>
</div>
<br class="example-break"><div class="sect2" title="Associative arrays">
<div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title">
<a name="language.variables.assoc.arrays"></a>Associative arrays</h3></div></div></div>
<p>
You can also reference associative array variables that are
assigned from PHP by specifying the key after the '.' (period)
symbol.
</p>
<div class="example">
<a name="id3030090"></a><p class="title"><b>Example 4.3. Accessing associative array variables</b></p>
<div class="example-contents">
<pre class="programlisting">
<?php
$smarty->assign('Contacts',
array('fax' => '555-222-9876',
'email' => 'zaphod@slartibartfast.example.com',
'phone' => array('home' => '555-444-3333',
'cell' => '555-111-1234')
)
);
$smarty->display('index.tpl');
?>
</pre>
<p>
where the content of <code class="filename">index.tpl</code> is:
</p>
<pre class="programlisting">
{$Contacts.fax}<br />
{$Contacts.email}<br />
{* you can print arrays of arrays as well *}
{$Contacts.phone.home}<br />
{$Contacts.phone.cell}<br />
</pre>
<p>
this will output:
</p>
<pre class="screen">
555-222-9876<br />
zaphod@slartibartfast.example.com<br />
555-444-3333<br />
555-111-1234<br />
</pre>
</div>
</div>
<br class="example-break">
</div>
<div class="sect2" title="Array indexes">
<div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title">
<a name="language.variables.array.indexes"></a>Array indexes</h3></div></div></div>
<p>
You can reference arrays by their index, much like native PHP syntax.
</p>
<div class="example">
<a name="id3030161"></a><p class="title"><b>Example 4.4. Accessing arrays by index</b></p>
<div class="example-contents">
<pre class="programlisting">
<?php
$smarty->assign('Contacts', array(
'555-222-9876',
'zaphod@slartibartfast.example.com',
array('555-444-3333',
'555-111-1234')
));
$smarty->display('index.tpl');
?>
</pre>
<p>
where <code class="filename">index.tpl</code> is:
</p>
<pre class="programlisting">
{$Contacts[0]}<br />
{$Contacts[1]}<br />
{* you can print arrays of arrays as well *}
{$Contacts[2][0]}<br />
{$Contacts[2][1]}<br />
</pre>
<p>
This will output:
</p>
<pre class="screen">
555-222-9876<br />
zaphod@slartibartfast.example.com<br />
555-444-3333<br />
555-111-1234<br />
</pre>
</div>
</div>
<br class="example-break">
</div>
<div class="sect2" title="Objects">
<div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title">
<a name="language.variables.objects"></a>Objects</h3></div></div></div>
<p>
Properties of <a class="link" href="advanced.features.html#advanced.features.objects" title="Objects">objects</a>
assigned from PHP can be referenced by specifying the property
name after the <code class="literal">-></code> symbol.
</p>
<div class="example">
<a name="id3030240"></a><p class="title"><b>Example 4.5. Accessing object properties</b></p>
<div class="example-contents">
<pre class="programlisting">
name: {$person->name}<br />
email: {$person->email}<br />
</pre>
<p>
this will output:
</p>
<pre class="screen">
name: Zaphod Beeblebrox<br />
email: zaphod@slartibartfast.example.com<br />
</pre>
</div>
</div>
<br class="example-break">
</div>
</div>
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