Twig - A Powerful Template Engine for PHP

Introduction

Twig is a flexible and powerful template engine for PHP used to generate HTML, XML, or other markup documents. It was developed by SensioLabs and is used extensively by the Symfony framework.

Twig combines UI and logic in a single template file and helps to simplify the process of developing web applications. It is easy to use, highly extensible, and can be customized to suit any project's requirements.

Markdown Support

Twig has native support for Markdown using the markdown filter. With this filter, you can convert plain text into HTML with markdown syntax. Here's an example:

{% set myText = "### Heading\n\nThis is some **bold** text." %}

{{ myText|markdown }}

This code will output:

### Heading

This is some **bold** text.

HTML Escaping

By default, Twig escapes HTML in the output to prevent XSS attacks. However, you can tell Twig not to escape certain values using the raw filter. Here's an example:

{% set myHTML = "<b>Bold Text</b>" %}

{{ myHTML|raw }}

This code will output:

<b>Bold Text</b>

Conditionals and Loops

Twig supports a wide range of conditionals and loops to help you control the flow of your templates. Here are some examples:

If Statement

{% if isLoggedIn %}
  You are logged in!
{% endif %}

For Loop

{% for item in itemList %}
  {{ item }}
{% endfor %}

While Loop

{% set i = 0 %}

{% while i < 10 %}
  {{ i }}
  {% set i = i + 1 %}
{% endwhile %}

Conclusion

Twig is a powerful and flexible template engine that can help you create dynamic web applications more efficiently. With its Markdown support, HTML escaping, and robust conditionals and loops, it is an excellent choice for any PHP developer.