XF 2.0 Template error when creating add-ons via documentation

[Roninlewis]

According to the documentation I have to create a file "demo_portal_view.html" in the path "src/addons/Demo/Portal/_output/templates/public/" but when I visit the portal page it produces this error: "Template public:demo_portal_view: Template public:demo_portal_view is unknown (src\XF\Template\Templater.php:583)"

src/addons/Demo/Portal/addon.json

{
    "title": "Demo - Portal",
    "description": "Bla bla bla...",
    "version_string": "1.0.0 Alpha",
    "version_id": 1000010,
    "dev": "You!",
    "icon": "fa-code"
}

src/addons/Demo/Portal/Pub/Controller/Portal.php

<?php
namespace Demo\Portal\Pub\Controller;

class Portal extends \XF\Pub\Controller\AbstractController {
    
    public function actionIndex() {
        
        $viewParams = [];
        return $this->view('Demo\Portal:View', 'demo_portal_view', $viewParams);
        
    }

}

src/addons/Demo/Portal/_output/templates/public/demo_portal_view.html

<xf:title>Portal</xf:title>

Any idea why it does not work?

 

[Jeremy P]

You must create templates in the ACP. Afterwards you can just edit the corresponding files though.

 

[Roninlewis]

If I create the template "demo_portal_view" in the ACP, it works, but I do not think it is a very convincing solution. The documentation does not say anything about it. If the template is part of the add-on I'm creating, I think it should be inside the add-on.

 

[Jeremy P]

Then the documentation is wrong. In any case, the template should be output to your add-on directory in the appropriate location where you can make further changes (provided you associated the template with your add-on).

 

[Chris D]

The documentation isn’t wrong.

There’s no requirement to create the template first, if the file exists on the file system it will be imported when it is requested.

 

[Roninlewis]

So what is the problem? I follow the indications, as the documentation says, I create the template "demo_portal_view.html" in the path "src/addons/Demo/Portal/_output/templates/public/". The route and the controller seem to communicate with each other, but the template does not load, as if it did not exist.

 

[Roninlewis]

Ok, I solved it. In the end it was silly. I did not have the add-on configured as the default in config.php XD

 

[Jeremy P]

There’s no requirement to create the template first, if the file exists on the file system it will be imported when it is requested.

Oops, I stand corrected. I've never fiddled with the default add-on setting because I switch between them often, so I had no idea it would work if you set that.

A way to have the system guess add-on associations via predefined prefixes (set in addon.json maybe?) would be cool, but I understand that belongs in a proper suggestion thread.

 

[Chris D]

Having the add on as default is not required either.

The system already knows your add on because the template files are in your add on’s output folder.

 

[Brad Padgett]

Having the add on as default is not required either.

The system already knows your add on because the template files are in your add on’s output folder.

I remember getting a bit confused about how to create the template myself when reading the xf 2 dev docs. I realized more than likely it was talking about the template via the admin panel but it wasn't very clear and I actually tried copying the template code into a separate file in my confusement before I figured it out. Just wanted to mention that.

 

[Jeremy P]

Oh wow, I could have sworn I tried this a long time ago and it didn't work, but I was probably just doing something silly. I didn't figure it would just scan all add-ons for the template if it wasn't found (since there would be no association). Good to know

 

[Case]

Yea, this wasn't very clear from the docs.

The second argument is the template, which we need to create now in the path src/addons/Demo/Portal/_output/templates/public/demo_portal_view.html. That template, for now, should simply contain the following:

I just created that file on my hosting which didn't work. From this thread I realised I needed to create that template in ACP > Appearance > Templates

 

[Chris D]

I just created that file on my hosting which didn't work.

That should work. That’s why the instructions tell you to do that

 

[Case]

That should work. That’s why the instructions tell you to do that

Huh. Weird. It didn't work at all. Took me a bit of searching to find this thread and once I did it through the ACP it worked straight away.

 

[viktor_kovtun]

The documentation isn’t wrong.

There’s no requirement to create the template first, if the file exists on the file system it will be imported when it is requested.

I created Demo\Portal\_output\templates\public\demo_portal_view.html

I checked every code piece dozens of times.

But the portal page keeps showing me

Template errors

• Template public:demo_portal_view: Template public:demo_portal_view is unknown (src\XF\Template\Templater.php:611)

Can you help me with this? I am going to die!