Notation:

$ [ ! ][ { ][ a..z, A..Z ][ a..z, A..Z, 0..9, -, _ ][ } ]

Examples:

• Shorthand notation: $mud-Slinger_9
• Silent Shorthand notation: $!mud-Slinger_9
• Formal notation: ${mud-Slinger_9}
• Silent Formal notation: $!{mud-Slinger_9}

Notation:

$ [ { ][ a..z, A..Z ][ a..z, A..Z, 0..9, -, _ ]* .[a..z, A..Z ][ a..z, A-Z, 0..9, -, _ ]* [ } ]

Examples:

• Regular Notation: $customer.Address
• Formal Notation: ${purchase.Total}

Notation:

$ [ { ][ a..z, A..Z ][ a..z, A..Z, 0..9, -, _ ]* .[ a..z, A..Z ][ a..z, A..Z, 0..9, -, _ ]*( [ optional parameter list... ] ) [ } ]

Examples:

• Regular Notation: $customer.getAddress()
• Formal Notation: ${purchase.getTotal()}
• Regular Notation with Parameter List: $page.setTitle( "My Home Page" )

Format:

# [ { ] set [ } ] ( $ref = [ ", ' ]arg[ ", ' ] )

Usage:

• $ref - The LHS of the assignment must be a variable reference or a property reference.
• arg - The RHS of the assignment, arg is parsed if enclosed in double quotes, and not parsed if enclosed in single quotes.

Examples:

• Variable reference: #set( $monkey = $bill )
• String literal: #set( $monkey.Friend = 'monica' )
• Property reference: #set( $monkey.Blame = $whitehouse.Leak )
• Method reference: #set( $monkey.Plan = $spindoctor.weave($web) )
• Number literal: #set( $monkey.Number = 123 )
• Range operator: #set( $monkey.Numbers = [1..3] )
• Object list: #set( $monkey.Say = ["Not", $my, "fault"] )
• Object map: #set( $monkey.Map = {"banana" : "good", "roast beef" : "bad"})

The RHS can also be a simple arithmetic expression, such as:

• Addition: #set( $value = $foo + 1 )
• Subtraction: #set( $value = $bar - 1 )
• Multiplication: #set( $value = $foo * $bar )
• Division: #set( $value = $foo / $bar )
• Remainder: #set( $value = $foo % $bar )

Format:

# [ { ] if [ } ] ( [condition] ) [output] [ # [ { ] elseif [ } ] ( [condition] ) [output] ]* [ # [ { ] else [ } ] [output] ] # [ { ] end [ } ]

Usage:

• condition - If a boolean, considered true if it has a true false; if not a boolean, considered true if not null.
• output - May contain VTL.

Examples (showing different operators):

Notes:

1. The == operator can be used to compare numbers, strings, objects of the same class, or objects of different classes. In the last case (when objects are of different classes), the toString() method is called on each object and the resulting Strings are compared.
2. You can also use brackets to delimit directives. This is especially useful when text immediately follows an #else directive.

Format:

# [ { ] foreach [ } ] ( $ref in arg ) statement # [ { ] end [ } ]

Usage:

• $ref - The first variable reference is the item.
• arg - May be one of the following: a reference to a list (i.e. object array, collection, or map), an array list, or the range operator.
• statement - What is output each time Velocity finds a valid item in the list denoted above as arg. This output is any valid VTL and is rendered each iteration of the loop.

Examples of the #foreach(), omitting the statement block :

• Reference: #foreach ( $item in $items )
• Array list: #foreach ( $item in ["Not", $my, "fault"] )
• Range operator: #foreach ( $item in [1..3] )

Velocity provides an easy way to get the loop counter so that you can do something like the following:

Additionally, the maximum allowed number of loop iterations can be controlled engine-wide (an ability introduced in Velocity 1.5). By default, there is no limit:

Format:

# [ { ] include [ } ] ( arg[ arg2 ... argn] )

• arg - Refers to a valid file under TEMPLATE_ROOT.

Examples:

• String: #include( "disclaimer.txt" "opinion.txt" )
• Variable: #include( $foo $bar )

Format:

# [ { ] parse [ } ] ( arg )

• arg - Refers to a template under TEMPLATE_ROOT.

Examples:

• String: #parse( "lecorbusier.vm" )
• Variable: #parse( $foo )

Recursion permitted. See parse_directive.maxdepth in velocity.properties to change from parse depth. (The default parse depth is 10.)

Format:

# [ { ] stop [ } ]

Usage:

This will stop execution of the current template. This is good for debugging a template.

Format:

# [ { ] break [ } ]

Usage:

This will break execution of the current content directive. This is good for exiting a #foreach loop early, but also works in other scopes. You can even pass the scope control reference for a specific outer scope to break execution of all scopes outward to the specified one.

Format:

# [ { ] evaluate [ } ] ( arg )

• arg - String literal or reference to be dynamically evaluated.

Examples:

• String: #evaluate( 'string with VTL #if(true)will be displayed#end' )
• Variable: #include( $foo )

Format:

# [ { ] define [ } ] ( $ref ) statement # [ { ] end [ } ]

• $ref - Reference that is assigned the VTL block as a value.
• statement - Statement that is assigned to the reference.

Example:

• #define( $hello ) Hello $who #end #set( $who = "World!") $hello ## displays Hello World!

Format:

# [ { ] macro [ } ] ( vmname $arg1 [ = def1 ] [ $arg2 [ = def2 ] $arg3 [ = def3 ] ... $argn [ = defn ] ] ) [ VM VTL code... ] # [ { ] end [ } ]

• vmname - Name used to call the VM (#vmname)
• $arg1 $arg2 [ ... ] - Arguments to the VM. There can be any number of arguments, but the number used at invocation must match the number specified in the definition, unless there is a default value provided for missing parameters.
• def1 def2 ... - Optional default values provided for macro arguments. If a default value is provided for an argument, a default value must also be provided to all subsequent arguments.
• [ VM VTL code... ] - Any valid VTL code, anything you can put into a template, can be put into a VM.

Once defined, the VM is used like any other VTL directive in a template.

Except, that when you wish to call a VM with a body, then you must prefix the name of the VM with @. The content of that body may be referenced in the macro definition via $!bodyContent as many or few times as you like.

VMs can be defined in one of two places:

1. Template library: can be either VMs pre-packaged with Velocity or custom-made, user-defined, site-specific VMs; available from any template
2. Inline: found in regular templates, only usable when velocimacro.permissions.allowInline=true in velocity.properties.

Example:

## This is a comment.

Example:

#*
This is a multiline comment.
This is the second line
*#