docs

README.md

@@ -7,7 +7,135 @@ and
 rtemplate is a framework agnostic way to render your views.
 
 It's not a markup language because there is no language. There is no
-logic. Only structure.
+logic.
+
+Overview
+--------
+
+Think of rtemplate as a replacement for your views. Instead of views
+consisting of ERB or HAML with random helpers and arbitrary logic,
+your views are broken into two parts: a Ruby class and an HTML
+template.
+
+We call the Ruby class the "view" and the HTML template the
+"template."
+
+All your logic, decisions, and code is contained in your view. All
+your markup is contained in your template. The template does nothing
+but reference methods in your view. 
+
+This strict separation makes it easier to write clean templates,
+easier to test your views, and more fun to work on your app's front end.
+
+Usage
+-----
+
+We've got an `examples` folder but here's the canonical one:
+
+    class Simple < RTemplate
+      def name
+        "Chris"
+      end
+
+      def value
+        10_000
+      end
+
+      def taxed_value
+        value - (value * 0.4)
+      end
+
+      def in_ca
+        true
+      end
+    end
+
+We simply create a normal Ruby class and define methods. Some methods
+reference others, some return values, some return only booleans.
+
+Now let's write the template:
+
+    Hello {{name}}
+    You have just won ${{value}}!
+    {{#in_ca}}
+    Well, ${{taxed_value}}, after taxes.
+    {{/in_ca}}
+
+This template references our view methods. To bring it all together,
+here's the code to render actual HTML;
+
+    Simple.new.to_html
+
+Which returns the following:
+
+    Hello Chris
+    You have just won $10000!
+    Well, $6000.0, after taxes.
+
+Simple.
+
+Tag Types
+---------
+
+Tags are indicated by the double mustaches. `{{name}}` is a tag. Let's
+talk about the different types of tags.
+
+### Variables
+
+The most basic tag is the variable. A `{{name}}` tag in a basic
+template will try to call the `name` method on your view. If there is
+no `name` method, an exception will be raised.
+
+All variables are HTML escaped by default. If you want, for some
+reason, to return unescaped HTML you can use the triple mustache:
+`{{{name}}}`. 
+
+### Boolean Sections
+
+A section begins with a pound and ends with a slash. That is,
+`{{#person}}` begins a "person" section while `{{/person}}` ends it.
+
+If the `person` method exists and calling it returns false, the HTML
+between the pound and slash will not be displayed.
+
+If the `person` method exists and calling it returns true, the HTML
+between the pound and slash will be rendered and displayed.
+
+### Enumerable Sections
+
+Enumerable sections are syntactically identical to boolean sections in
+that they begin with a pound and end with a slash. The difference,
+however, is in the view: if the method called returns an enumerable,
+the section is repeated as the enumerable is iterated over. 
+
+Each item in the enumerable is expected to be a hash which will then
+become the context of the corresponding iteration. In this way we can
+construct loops.
+
+For example, imagine this template:
+
+    {{#repo}}
+      <b>{{name}}</b>
+    {{/repo}}
+
+And this view code:
+
+    def repo
+      Repository.all.map { |r| { :name => r.to_s } }
+    end
+
+When rendered, our view will contain a list of all repository names in
+the database.
+
+### Comments
+
+Comments begin with a bang are are ignored. The following template:
+
+    <h1>Today.</h1>{{! ignore me }}
+
+Will render as follows:
+
+    <h1>Today.</h1>
 
 TODO
 ----