Everything you need to know about our Text Templates feature and how it allows you can build reusable, custom HTML/CSS elements for your web applications.

1. Introduction

OMNIA Platform enables you to model Text Templates that can be rendered using a Templating Language.

These templates can be useful in case you need a way of formatting the data shown to a user. E.g. to send a notification or to present some information without using Form attributes.

OMNIA Text Templates are based on the Liquid Templating Language.

2. Model Text Templates

Each text template contains an expression, that will be transformed using the parameters, in order to get the result text.

How to add a new Text Template?

By accessing User Interface / Text Templates in the sidebar, you will have access to the text templates management screen.

Selecting the option Add new in the list of text templates, you need to fill the following information:

  • Name: the name of the text template (needs to be unique within the model);
  • Description: the textual explanation of the text template’s purpose (can be used as development documentation).

How to update the Text Template’s expression?

By accessing User Interface / Text Templates in the sidebar, select one of the text templates of the list.

In the Text Template page will you have five different sections:

  • Template: The place to write the Text Template’s expression, using the Liquid Templating Language;
  • Test parameters: A JSON representation of test data, using the available parameters, in order to preview the template’s result;
  • Language Texts: A JSON representation of the current user language texts;
  • Assets: A JSON representation of the assets available on the model;
  • Result preview: The result of the template transformation using the test parameters.

Which are the available parameters?

The following parameters are available to use when writing a text template:

  • Data: A set of key-value pair entries, that can be sent in the request body;
  • Context: A representation of the request context (similar to what is used in the C# and Javascript behaviours);
  • Texts: The set of texts of the language in which the request was made. Example: Texts.Hello to use the text “Hello” from the current user language.
  • Assets: The set of assets available on the current Model. Example: Assets.CompanyLogo to use previously defined asset “CompanyLogo”

3. Using Text Templates

Text templates can be used in all scenarios where a text content is required, based on different data and/or language (for example, in the body of an e-mail notification).

How to render a Text Template in a Behaviour?

Our platform’s API provides a specific endpoint for Text Template rendering inside Behaviours.

In the following sample, a template called “MyTemplate” is transformed using an entity’s DTO as parameter.

var httpClient = _Context.CreateApplicationHttpClient();
 
var requestResult = await httpClient.PostAsync("TextTemplates/MyTemplate", this.ToDto());
 
if (!requestResult.IsSuccessStatusCode)
 throw new Exception("It was not possible to transform the text template.");
 
var myTemplateContent = await requestResult.Content.ReadAsStringAsync();