Template Syntax

Edge templates are HTML files with two kinds of markup. Output tags such as {{ $name }} print values, and @ directives control logic and structure. The syntax follows Laravel Blade closely, so developers who know Blade can read Edge templates without learning a new language.

Output is escaped by default. Values from the data array are safe to print in HTML text and double-quoted attributes unless you choose raw output.

Minimal Setup

Create an Edge instance and render a template string. The default loader treats the layout name as the template source itself:

use Windwalker\Edge\Edge;

$edge = new Edge();

echo $edge->render(
    '<h1>Hello, {{ $name }}</h1>',
    ['name' => 'Simon']
);

Templates stored in files are covered in Loaders.

Showcase

The following template combines a condition, a loop, and a class helper. It renders end to end with the data passed to render():

$template = <<<'EDGE'
@if (count($items) > 0)
    <ul class="menu">
        @foreach ($items as $i => $item)
            <li @class(['active' => $i === $active])>
                {{ $item['title'] }}
            </li>
        @endforeach
    </ul>
@else
    <p>No items found.</p>
@endif
EDGE;

echo $edge->render($template, [
    'items' => [
        ['title' => 'Home'],
        ['title' => 'Blog'],
    ],
    'active' => 1,
]);

Output

Escaped Output

{{ }} passes the value through Edge::escape(), which uses htmlspecialchars() with ENT_COMPAT. Double quotes, ampersands, angle brackets, and null values are handled, and null prints as an empty string.

$edge->render('{{ $html }}', ['html' => '<b>"hi"</b>']);
// &lt;b&gt;&quot;hi&quot;&lt;/b&gt;

Use ?? for fallback values. An undefined variable produces a PHP notice, so always provide a default when the key may be missing:

{{ $title ?? 'Untitled' }}

Edge also accepts the or form, which compiles to an isset() check. The left side must be a variable:

{{ $title or 'Untitled' }}

This form is specific to Edge. See Differences from Blade for the full list.

WARNING

ENT_COMPAT does not encode single quotes. Always wrap HTML attributes that contain output in double quotes, for example title="{{ $title }}". A single-quoted attribute can be broken out of by a value that contains '.

Raw Output

{!! !!} prints the value without escaping:

{!! $htmlFragment !!}

WARNING

Raw output does not escape anything. Use it only for HTML that your application generated or trusted. Never print user input with {!! !!}.

Literal Braces and Comments

Prefix a tag with @ to print it literally, which is useful when the same braces belong to a JavaScript framework:

<div>@{{ message }}</div>

Comments between {{-- --}} are removed from the compiled output:

{{-- This line never reaches the browser. --}}

To keep a block unparsed, wrap it in @verbatim and @endverbatim.

Conditions and Loops

Conditions use @if, @elseif, @else, and @endif. The @unless directive is the negated form of @if.

@unless ($user->isGuest())
    <p>Welcome back.</p>
@endunless

Loops use @foreach, @for, and @while. The @forelse directive renders an @empty branch when the collection has no items:

@forelse ($users as $user)
    <p>{{ $user['name'] }}</p>
@empty
    <p>No users found.</p>
@endforelse

Inside a loop, @continue($condition) and @break($condition) skip an iteration or stop the loop when the condition is true:

@foreach ($numbers as $n)
    @continue($n === 2)
    @break($n === 4)
    {{ $n }}
@endforeach

Use @switch with @case, @break, and @default for value matching:

@switch($status)
    @case('draft')
        Draft
        @break

    @case('published')
        Published
        @break

    @default
        Unknown
@endswitch

Attribute Helpers

Helpers add HTML attributes only when the condition is true. Each helper prints an attribute name without a value.

<input type="checkbox" @checked($on) @disabled($locked)>

• @checked($expr) prints checked.
• @selected($expr) prints selected.
• @disabled($expr) prints disabled.
• @readonly($expr) and @required($expr) work the same way.

@class builds a class attribute from an array. Numeric keys are always included. String keys are included when their value is truthy:

<p @class([
    'card',
    'card-active' => $active,
    'card-muted' => !$active,
])></p>

@bool prints true or false as a plain value, which is useful inside JavaScript or an attribute that expects a literal boolean:

<button data-open="@bool($open)"></button>

@json encodes a value as JSON. The output is HTML-escaped, so place it in an attribute, not inside a <script> block:

<div data-config="@json($config)"></div>

For a <script> block, use @js. It emits a JavaScript expression that parses the value at runtime:

<script>
    const config = @js($config);
</script>

Edge encodes the JSON as base64 and outputs JSON.parse(atob('...')). The base64 text contains no quotes or angle brackets, so the output is safe inside a script block without further escaping.

PHP Code in Templates

@php ... @endphp runs a block of PHP, and @php($expr) runs a single expression:

@php($total = count($items))

<p>{{ $total }} items</p>

@unset($name) removes a variable from the template scope. This is useful when a loop variable must not leak into code that follows:

@unset($item)

WARNING

@php runs arbitrary PHP in the template scope. A template is code, so only load templates that your application controls. Never build a template string from user input.

Changing the Output Tags

Replace the default {{ }} and {!! !!} tags through the compiler. See Extending Edge for the full list of tag setters.