Template::TT3::Manual::Compatibility - backwards compatibility

Version 3 of the Template Toolkit (or TT3 for short) is a complete re-think, re-design and re-implementation of the Template Toolkit in terms of both the template language and the modules that implement it.

TT3 is effectively a new template language and implementation that happens to bear more than a striking resemblance to its predecessor, TT2. However, it is safest to assume that everything has changed. That way you'll be pleasantly surprised when you discover how reassuringly familiar most things are.

We are of course mindful of the fact that a great number of people are dependent on the existing TT2 language and implementation. This documentation is aimed at those people in particular. It describes the plans that are afoot and in some cases, actions that are already underway, to provide a simple and reliable upgrade path from TT2 to TT3.

In brief, the development version of TT3 is currently occupying the Template::TT3 namespace. A temporary Template3 module is being used to preview what the new, version 3 Template module will look like.

When TT3 is ready for release, these Template::TT3::* modules will be moved up a level to occupy the Template::* namespace, replacing the existing TT2 modules. The Template3 module will become the new Template module.

The existing TT2 modules will be moved to the Template::TT2 namespace where they will rest in peace for ever more.

The new version 3 Template module will have an options to automatically engage the v2 Template::TT2 modules for backwards

The existing version 2 Template module and its supporting modules in the Template::* namespace will be moved en masse to the Template::TT2 namespace. For most users of TT2, it should be sufficient to replace any reference to Template with Template::TT2

Current code:

use Template;

my $tt = Template->new(
    INCLUDE_PATH => '/path/to/templates',
);

New code:

use Template::TT2;

my $tt = Template::TT2->new(
    INCLUDE_PATH => '/path/to/templates',
);

Work on this started in October 2008 and was complete (to the point of implementing all of TT2's features) by the end of 2008. It has fallen a little being the main TT2 code base since then. There are perhaps a dozen minor patches that need to be back-ported to Template::TT2 and a few failing tests that need to be looked into. If anyone would like to help bring it up to date then please get in touch.

The source code repository for Template::TT2 is at http://github.com/abw/Template-TT2 .

The new v3 code for the Template Toolkit is currently living in the Template::TT3::* namespace. The Template3 module is a new implementation of what will eventually replace the current v2 Template module. They have been developed in separate namespaces so that there is no effect on existing TT2 users until we're 100% ready the throw the switch and release TT3.

The source code repository for Template::TT3 is at http://github.com/abw/Template-TT3 .

Andy Wardley http://wardley.org/

Copyright (C) 1996-2009 Andy Wardley. All Rights Reserved.

This module is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.

Template::TT3::Manual