What are “templates” and should we remove or fix them?

[cassidyjames]

I'm finding references to a TemplateManager and templates throughout Code, but I've literally never seen them and have no idea what it's supposed to be. So my question for discussion is:

1. What are they supposed to be?
2. Should we remove them, or fix them?

---

code/src/Services/TemplateManager.vala

Lines 1 to 268 in ceb3b1f

	/*
	* Copyright (C) 2011-2012 Lucas Baudin <xapantu@gmail.com>
	* 2013 Mario Guerriero <mario@elementaryos.org>
	*
	* This file is part of Code.
	*
	* Code is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it
	* under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the
	* Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
	* (at your option) any later version.
	*
	* Code is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but
	* WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
	* MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
	* See the GNU General Public License for more details.
	*
	* You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along
	* with this program. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
	*/
	public abstract class Scratch.Template : Object {
	public abstract Gtk.Widget get_creation_box ();
	public abstract signal void loaded (File file);
	public static void configure_template (string origin, string destination, Gee.HashMap<string, string> variables) {
	debug ("Origin: %s, destination: %s\n", origin, destination);
	configure_directory (File.new_for_path (origin), File.new_for_path (destination), variables);
	}
	static void configure_directory (File origin, File destination, Gee.HashMap<string, string> variables) {
	/* First, let's check that these files actually exists and are directory */
	bool is_directory, exists;
	info_directory (origin, out is_directory, out exists);
	if (!is_directory || !exists) {
	warning ("Origin directory doesn't exist or isn't a directory.");
	return;
	}
	info_directory (destination, out is_directory, out exists);
	if (is_directory || exists) {
	warning ("Destination directory already exists…");
	return;
	}
	try {
	destination.make_directory ();
	} catch (Error e) {
	critical (e.message);
	return;
	}
	var files = new Gee.TreeSet<FileInfo> ();
	var dirs = new Gee.TreeSet<File> ();
	enumerate_directory (origin, files, dirs);
	foreach (var file in files) {
	var content_type = file.get_content_type ();
	if ("text" in content_type || "x-desktop" in content_type) {
	var gfile = File.new_for_path (Path.build_filename (origin.get_path (), file.get_name ()));
	string content = Scratch.Services.FileHandler.load_content_from_file_sync (gfile);
	if (variables != null) {
	foreach (var entry in variables.entries) {
	content = content.replace ("$$" + entry.key, entry.value);
	}
	}
	try {
	string dest_path = Path.build_filename (destination.get_path (), file.get_name ());
	foreach (var entry in variables.entries) {
	dest_path = dest_path.replace ("$$" + entry.key, entry.value);
	}
	FileUtils.set_contents (dest_path, content);
	} catch (Error e) {
	warning (e.message);
	}
	} else {
	try {
	var orig = File.new_for_path (Path.build_filename (origin.get_path (), file.get_name ()));
	var dest = File.new_for_path (Path.build_filename (destination.get_path (), file.get_name ()));
	orig.copy (dest, 0);
	} catch (Error e) {
	critical (e.message);
	return;
	}
	}
	}
	foreach (var dir in dirs) {
	configure_directory (dir, File.new_for_path (destination.get_path () + "/" + dir.get_basename ()), variables);
	}
	}
	public static void enumerate_directory (File origin, Gee.TreeSet<FileInfo> files, Gee.TreeSet<File> directories) {
	try {
	var enumerator = origin.enumerate_children ("standard::type,standard::name,standard::content-type", 0);
	for (var file_info = enumerator.next_file (); file_info != null; file_info = enumerator.next_file ()) {
	switch (file_info.get_file_type ()) {
	case FileType.DIRECTORY:
	directories.add (File.new_for_path (origin.get_path () + "/" + file_info.get_name ()));
	continue;
	case FileType.REGULAR:
	files.add (file_info);
	continue;
	}
	}
	} catch (Error e) {
	critical (e.message);
	return;
	}
	}
	public static void info_directory (File file, out bool is_directory, out bool exists) {
	//var origin_info = origin.query_info ("standard::type", 0);
	var file_type = file.query_file_type (0 /* info flags: none */);
	exists = file_type != FileType.UNKNOWN;
	is_directory = file_type == FileType.DIRECTORY;
	}
	}
	public class Scratch.TestTemplate : Template {
	public override Gtk.Widget get_creation_box () {
	return new Gtk.Label ("Test");
	}
	}
	public class TemplateButton : Gtk.Button {
	private Gtk.Image icon_image;
	public TemplateButton (string title, string description, string icon) {
	can_focus = false;
	set_relief (Gtk.ReliefStyle.NONE);
	var main_box = new Gtk.Box (Gtk.Orientation.HORIZONTAL, 3);
	var text_box = new Gtk.Box (Gtk.Orientation.VERTICAL, 3);
	text_box.halign = Gtk.Align.START;
	var title_label = new Gtk.Label (Markup.printf_escaped ("<span weight='medium' size='11700'>%s</span>", title));
	title_label.use_markup = true;
	title_label.ellipsize = Pango.EllipsizeMode.END;
	title_label.halign = Gtk.Align.START;
	title_label.valign = Gtk.Align.START;
	var description_label = new Gtk.Label (Markup.printf_escaped ("<span weight='medium' size='11400'>%s</span>", description));
	description_label.use_markup = true;
	description_label.ellipsize = Pango.EllipsizeMode.END;
	description_label.halign = Gtk.Align.START;
	description_label.valign = Gtk.Align.START;
	description_label.sensitive = false;
	icon_image = new Gtk.Image.from_icon_name (icon, Gtk.IconSize.DIALOG);
	icon_image.halign = Gtk.Align.START;
	text_box.pack_start (new Gtk.Box (Gtk.Orientation.HORIZONTAL, 0), true, true, 0); // Top spacing
	text_box.pack_start (title_label, false, false, 0);
	text_box.pack_start (description_label, false, false, 0);
	text_box.pack_start (new Gtk.Box (Gtk.Orientation.HORIZONTAL, 0), true, true, 0); // Bottom spacing
	main_box.pack_start (icon_image, false, true, 0);
	main_box.pack_start (text_box, false, true, 0);
	this.add (main_box);
	this.show_all ();
	}
	public void set_icon_from_pixbuf (Gdk.Pixbuf pixbuf) {
	icon_image.set_from_pixbuf (pixbuf);
	}
	}
	/**
	* Global Template Manager for Scratch. Only one instance of this object should
	* be used at once. It is created by the main Granite.Application (ScratchApp) and
	* a reference can be got from the plugin manager.
	**/
	public class Scratch.TemplateManager : GLib.Object {
	private Gtk.Dialog dialog;
	private Scratch.Template current_template;
	private Gtk.Widget? parent = null;
	private Gtk.Grid grid;
	private int n_columns = 0; // One column
	private int left = 0; // No more than 1
	private int top = 0; // No more than 1
	private int width = 1; // Event 1
	private int height = 1; // Event 1
	public bool template_available = false;
	public signal void template_loaded (Template template, File file);
	public TemplateManager () {
	dialog = new Gtk.Dialog ();
	dialog.title = _("Templates");
	this.grid = new Gtk.Grid ();
	this.grid.margin = 5;
	this.grid.row_spacing = 5;
	this.grid.column_spacing = 5;
	this.grid.row_homogeneous = true;
	this.grid.column_homogeneous = true;
	// Viewport
	var scroll = new Gtk.ScrolledWindow (null, null);
	scroll.height_request = 250;
	scroll.set_policy (Gtk.PolicyType.NEVER, Gtk.PolicyType.AUTOMATIC);
	scroll.add (grid);
	dialog.get_content_area ().pack_start (scroll);
	//register_template ("text-editor", "Sample", "sample template", typeof(TestTemplate));
	}
	/**
	* Register a new template
	*
	* @param icon_id the icon id used in the IconView which shows all the template.
	* It will be used to launch an icon via Gtk.IconTheme.load_icon, so, any icon is
	* fine.
	* @param label The name of your template.
	* @param template_type The object type which must be instanciated when we click on
	* the icon on the IconView. It will be used to get the creation box and therefore must
	* inherit from #Scratch.Template.
	**/
	public void register_template (string icon_id, string label, string description, Type template_type) {
	var button = new TemplateButton (label, description, icon_id);
	append_button (button);
	button.clicked.connect (() => {
	current_template = (Scratch.Template) Object.new (template_type);
	this.dialog.hide ();
	var window = new Gtk.Dialog ();
	window.title = label;
	if (parent != null) window.set_transient_for ((Gtk.Window)parent);
	window.add (current_template.get_creation_box ());
	window.show_all ();
	current_template.loaded.connect ((file) => {
	template_loaded (current_template, file);
	});
	});
	template_available = true;
	}
	private void append_button (Gtk.Widget button) {
	if (left > n_columns)
	left = 0;
	this.grid.attach (button, left, top, width, height);
	button.show ();
	if (left == n_columns) top++;
	left++;
	}
	/**
	* Show a dialog which contains an #Gtk.IconView with all templates available.
	*
	* @param parent The parent window, or null.
	**/
	public void show_window (Gtk.Widget? parent) {
	this.parent = parent;
	if (template_available) {
	if (parent != null) dialog.set_transient_for ((Gtk.Window)parent);
	dialog.show_all ();
	}
	}
	}

code/src/Services/PluginManager.vala

Lines 35 to 41 in ceb3b1f

	public Scratch.TemplateManager template_manager { private set; get; }
	public Interface (PluginsManager manager) {
	this.manager = manager;
	template_manager = new Scratch.TemplateManager ();
	}

code/src/MainWindow.vala

Lines 255 to 258 in 7b6e331

	toolbar.templates_button.visible = (plugins.plugin_iface.template_manager.template_available);
	plugins.plugin_iface.template_manager.notify["template_available"].connect (() => {
	toolbar.templates_button.visible = (plugins.plugin_iface.template_manager.template_available);
	});

code/src/MainWindow.vala

Lines 905 to 907 in 7b6e331

	private void action_templates () {
	plugins.plugin_iface.template_manager.show_window (this);
	}

code/src/Widgets/HeaderBar.vala

Lines 52 to 54 in aff18f8

	templates_button = new Gtk.Button.from_icon_name ("text-x-generic-template", Gtk.IconSize.LARGE_TOOLBAR);
	templates_button.action_name = MainWindow.ACTION_PREFIX + MainWindow.ACTION_TEMPLATES;
	templates_button.tooltip_text = _("Project templates");

[pofart]

Hello @cassidyjames !
I wish there was a feature like templates, from time to time I write something like simple bug reports, and it would speed up my work a bit, since my main text editor is yours Code!
Thanks for your works!