Different templates-folder for different users/roles?

[pideluxe]

Would it be possible to configure a different path to the templates for different users/roles? E.g. for the user admin the templates reside in the folder /site/dev-templates/  and for all others users the templates lie in the folder /site/templates/?

With this, you could have a production-version of your templates and when logging in as a special user you can work on your development-version simultaneously. Maybe there could be a function to check-in ready templates to the production-version.

[Martijn Geerts]

Raymond Geerts, has pointed me a way to swap templates folder based on the hostname. (His post is somewhere here on the forum.) You need to place this code in /site/config.inc
Here's my variation:

/**
 * Switch ProcessWire templates directory on $_SERVER['HTTP_HOST']. Type the
 * Hostname as key and the name of the new templates folder as value.
 *
 */

$config->templates = array(
    'sub.domain.dev' => 'templates-dev', // domain => templates folder name
);

if (isset($_SERVER['HTTP_HOST']) && isset($config->templates[$_SERVER['HTTP_HOST']], $config->templates)) {
    foreach ($config->templates as $host => $folder) {
        if ($_SERVER['HTTP_HOST'] === $host) {
            $config->urls->templates = "/site/" . $folder . "/";
            $config->paths->templates = dirname(__DIR__) . $config->urls->templates;
        }
    }
} 

Here is Raymond's post.

Edited April 13, 2015 by Martijn Geerts

[LostKobrakai]

You should be able to do this on your own. Use $config->prependTemplateFile = '_init.php'; in your config.php and try this:

// _init.php
// Alter from basic-page.php to basic-page-dev.php

if($user->isSuperuser()){
  $page->template->altFilename($page->template->name."-dev");
}

[Macrura]

i use that technique from Raymond and i gotta say, it's pure gold!; saved me many times and helped along a project that i thought would be a nightmare to work on (requirement to work on site while it was in use)..

[pideluxe]

Thanks for the replies, so this has not to be on the wishlist, it is already there! Maybe we could build an integration into the backend.

[Martijn Geerts]

Maybe we could build an integration into the backend.

These things should be set very, very early in 'load' process of ProcessWire.

Manage from back-end, don't know if it's even possible. (Please proof that I'm wrong !)

[kongondo]

Has Raymond's technique been submitted to the PW Recipe's yet?

[adrian]

I know this is old, but just a follow up to mention that Tracy Debugger has a few options for achieving similar functionality.

1. Files Editor panel lets you test changes without affecting what other users see. When ready you can push the changes live.
2. Template Path panel lets you choose from a variety of templates with -dev, -test etc suffixes.
3. The User Bar has a "Page Versions" component that lets authorized users choose from alternate templates (this is basically a non-superuser version of the Template Path panel.
4. User Dev Template Options - this lets you set users with certain roles to automatically see the page with a different version of the template file.

Anyway, thought some of these might be useful to others who come across this topic.