# PurePlate
**A lightweight template engine for PHP. The syntax of Twig. The power of native PHP. None of the weight.**
PurePlate parses templates with PHP's native `token_get_all()` lexer and compiles them to plain, cached PHP. No runtime overhead. No bloat. No magic.
```twig
{% extends "layout.tpl" %}
{% block content %}
Hello, {{ user.name|upper }}!
{% if items is not empty %}
{% foreach items as item %}
- {{ item.title }} — {{ item.price|number_format(2, ',', ' ') }} €
{% endforeach %}
{% endif %}
{% endblock %}
```
---
## Why PurePlate
### 1. Any PHP function works as a filter — out of the box
In Twig, every filter must be registered:
```php
// Twig: you have to declare each function as a filter
$twig->addFilter(new TwigFilter('upper', 'strtoupper'));
$twig->addFilter(new TwigFilter('format', 'number_format'));
```
In PurePlate, every PHP function is already a filter:
```twig
{{ name|strtoupper }}
{{ price|number_format(2, ',', ' ') }}
{{ text|substr(0, 100) }}
{{ items|count }}
{{ date|date("Y-m-d") }}
```
No registration. No wrappers. The entire PHP standard library is available immediately.
### 2. Lexer-based, not regex-based
Templates are tokenized with PHP's own `token_get_all()` — the same lexer PHP uses to parse its own source code. This means:
- Correct handling of strings, escapes, nested quotes
- No regex edge-cases that break on unusual input
- Predictable, deterministic parsing
### 3. Compile-time validation
Generated PHP is validated with `TOKEN_PARSE` **before** being cached. If the compilation produces invalid PHP, you know immediately — not at runtime, not in production.
### 4. Source-mapped errors
Every compiled line carries a comment pointing back to the original template:
```php
```
When an error happens, PurePlate rewrites the exception to point at the **template file and line**, not the cached PHP file.
```
PurePlate Error: Undefined variable $username [At: templates/page.tpl:14]
```
### 5. Auto-escaping by default
`{{ var }}` is always passed through `htmlspecialchars(..., ENT_QUOTES)`. Output is safe by default.
---
## Comparison
| | Twig 3 | PurePlate |
|------------------------------|-------------|-------------|
| Syntax | Twig | Twig-like |
| PHP function as filter | ❌ Must register | ✅ Native |
| Compile-time syntax check | ❌ | ✅ |
| Source-mapped errors | ⚠️ Complex | ✅ Inline |
| PHP 7.4 support | ⚠️ Twig 3.x only | ✅ |
| Dependencies | Several | Zero |
| Auto-escape | ✅ | ✅ |
---
## Installation
```bash
composer require michel/pure-plate
```
PHP 7.4 or higher. No other runtime dependencies.
---
## Quick Start
```php
use Michel\PurePlate\Engine;
$plate = new Engine(__DIR__ . '/templates');
echo $plate->render('page.tpl', [
'user' => ['name' => 'fady'],
'items' => [
['title' => 'Item A', 'price' => 19.90],
['title' => 'Item B', 'price' => 42.00],
],
]);
```
---
## Syntax
### Output
```twig
{{ variable }} {# auto-escaped #}
{{ user.name }} {# same as user->name #}
{{ user.getName() }} {# method call #}
{{ value|filter }} {# any PHP function #}
{{ value|filter(arg1, arg2) }} {# with arguments #}
```
### Control structures
```twig
{% if condition %} ... {% elseif other %} ... {% else %} ... {% endif %}
{% foreach items as item %} ... {% endforeach %}
{% for i = 0; i < 10; i++ %} ... {% endfor %}
{% while condition %} ... {% endwhile %}
```
### Tests
```twig
{% if list is empty %} ... {% endif %}
{% if list is not empty %} ... {% endif %}
{% if not active %} ... {% endif %}
```
### Variable assignment
```twig
{% set total = price * quantity %}
```
### Template inheritance
```twig
{# layout.tpl #}
{% block content %}{% endblock %}
{# page.tpl #}
{% extends "layout.tpl" %}
{% block content %}
Hello
{% endblock %}
```
### Includes
```twig
{% include "partials/header.tpl" %}
```
### Comments
```twig
{# This will not appear in the output #}
```
---
## Dev mode
In dev mode, templates are recompiled on every request:
```php
$plate = new Engine(__DIR__ . '/templates', devMode: true);
```
In production (default), templates are compiled once and cached. The cache is invalidated automatically when the template source changes.
---
## Cache directory
By default, compiled templates are stored in the system temp directory. To customize:
```php
$plate = new Engine(
templateDir: __DIR__ . '/templates',
devMode: false,
cacheDir: __DIR__ . '/var/cache/plate'
);
```
---
## Globals
Variables passed as globals are available in every template without being re-passed at each render:
```php
$plate = new Engine(__DIR__ . '/templates', globals: [
'siteTitle' => 'My Site',
'version' => '1.0',
]);
```
---
## License
Mozilla Public License 2.0