If you want a lispy-way to define simple templates of varying size with multiple variables, then you should really consider terrible-template for all your templating needs!
This library features a familiar, lispy syntax designed to make defining templates easy and intuitive for users of emacs. Supporting multiple template variables and interactive value prompting, terrible-template should help you to define templates and insert them easily as part of your workflow.
This was inspired by things such as:
- Templ Mode http://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/TempoMode
- Skeleton Mode http://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/SkeletonMode
but with a simpler interface and the ability to easily use multiple template variables.
Observe an example:
(defterrible "my-template-name"
"First line of the template\n"
"I'd like a variable here: " (var "var1") " as a demo.\n"
"Hooray for more variables resembling " (var "var2") " this right here")
You can then insert this template anywhere with M-x terrible-template-insert <RET> my-template-name which will prompt you
for the variable values, interpolate the template and insert it at
point.
You can still leverage terrible-template non-interactively with the
terrible-template-programmatic-apply function like so:
(terrible-template-programmatic-apply "my-template-name" '("key1" "val1") '("key1" "val1"))
This will return a string containing the interpolated template which you may then use for whatever you desire.
I owe much to the wonderful folks on #emacs who helped me get my head straight for this little project.