Template not found error - Fat Free Framework - php

Question

I have worked through the examples in the documentation for the Fat Free Framework, and there is one example that I cannot get to work. It is the following:
$f3=require('lib/base.php');
$f3->route('GET /',
function($f3) {
$f3->set('name','world');
$template=new Template;
echo $template->render('template.htm');
// Above lines can be written as:
// echo Template::instance()->render('template.htm');
}
);
$f3->run();
I receive an error that the Template is not found. The error points to the line in which the template.htm file is being rendered and complains of Preview->render (i.e. its superclass, instead of Template->render). I don't even see a file for a Preview class in the codebase.
Interestingly, if I use the same file for the View example (below), it works just fine.
$f3=require('lib/base.php');
$f3->route('GET /',
function($f3) {
$f3->set('name','world');
$view=new View;
echo $view->render('template.htm');
// Previous two lines can be shortened to:
// echo View::instance()->render('template.htm');
}
);
$f3->run();
However, if I am going to use this framework, I would like to be able to utilize its templating feature as well.
Does anyone with experience with this framework have any idea what could be the problem? I downloaded the code from Github (https://github.com/bcosca/fatfree).

Answer 1

By default F3 uses the same folder where is located your main file (where you start the framework instance). You can change this behavior by setting a new path for the UI parameter. In short:
$f3 = \Base::instance();
$f3->set('UI', path_to_your_templates);
let's say you have the following structure:
- app
-- views
--- template.htm (your template)
- public
-- index.php (where your init the framework)
-- (template files are expected here by default)
public/index.php looks like:
$f3 = \Base::instance();
$f3->set('UI', __DIR__.'/../app/views/');
$f3->route('GET /',
function($f3) {
echo Template::instance()->render('template.htm');
}
Hope it helps.

Answer 2

Use .html instead of .htm. Yep, it really matters.

Answer 3

I have no experience using fat free framework, but a general pointer on how to debug this issue.
Apparently the file not found exception is being thrown by some code inside fat free framework. Try debugging that using XDebug

Answer 4

I ran across this issue with version Fat Free Framework 3.5.1
The issue appears since the framework OOB (in at least this version) is wired with a sample such that the templates are looked for in the 'ui/' subfolder of the root fat free framework folder.
What tells me that? Well... the OOB config.ini has the following contents:
[globals]
DEBUG=3
UI=ui/
To easily solve the problem either:
Put the file 'template.htm' in the 'ui/' subfolder
OR
Rename the 'ui/' subfolder to whatever you like in the config.ini and put the 'template.htm' file in that location
TIP: Make sure whatever UI path you specify ends in a / and if you need to specify multiple paths you can use the | or , or ; separators (making sure each path ends in a /)