Define and insert Thymeleaf fragments in TEXT templates

Question

I'm trying to create email templates in both plain text and HTML with Thymeleaf. Because I don't want to duplicate the common parts I want to define these parts separately and insert them into the more specific templates.

It works for HTML, but for plain text variables in the common parts are not replaced:

HTML

common.html

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html xmlns:th="http://www.thymeleaf.org">
    <head>
        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8">
    </head>
    <body>
        <div th:fragment="header">
            <p>
                Hello, [( ${name} )]
            </p>
        </div>
        <div th:fragment="footer">
            <p>
                Bye.
            </p>
        </div>
    </body>
</html>

specific.html

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html xmlns:th="http://www.thymeleaf.org">
    <head>
        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8">
    </head>
    <body>
        <div th:replace="html/common::header"></div>
        <p>
            <a th:href="${myLink}">[( ${myLink} )]</a>
        </p>
        <div th:replace="html/common::footer"></div>
    </body>
</html>

Plain text

header.txt
```
Hello ${name}
```
footer.txt
```
Bye
```

specific.txt

[( ~{text/header} )]
[( ${myLink} )]
[( ~{text/footer} )]

Result

It all works well for HTML but for the plain text version the ${name} variable from the inserted header.txt template is not replaced:

Hello, [#th:block th:utext="${name}"][/th:block]

    http://example.com

Bye.

The HTML result looks correct:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
    <head>
        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8">
    </head>
    <body>
        <div>
            <p>
                Hello, name-value
            </p>
        </div>
        <p>
            <a href="http://example.com">http://example.com</a>
        </p>
        <div>
            <p>
                Bye.
            </p>
        </div>
    </body>
</html>

My questions

Is there an elegant solution for the plain text version?
Is there a way to define and use fragments also for textual Thymeleaf templates?
Any general recommendations, as I'm only starting to use Thymeleaf?

score 5 · Accepted Answer · answered Apr 24 '20 at 14:42

Variables in the Plain Text Version

For the plain text issue, you can use the [#th:block] syntax.

Specifically, instead of using this in your specific.txt:

[( ~{text/header} )]

you can use this:

[#th:block th:replace="text/header"][/th:block]

Also, in the header.txt file, instead of using this:

Hello ${name}

you need to use this:

Hello [( ${name} )]

This is expression inlining - which you have already used - and is presented here, for reference.

Some additional examples of the [#th:block] syntax are presented here.

Defining and Using Fragments for Text

You might think that the [#th:block] syntax would now allow us to use fragments, in a similar way to the HTML approach. For example, something like this:

DOES NOT WORK:
[#th:block th:replace="text/common :: header"][/th:block]

together with a common.txt fragment like this:

ALSO DOES NOT WORK:
[#th:block th:fragment="header"]
Hello, [( ${name} )]
[/th:block]

If you try this, you will get the following error:

java.lang.IllegalArgumentException: Template selectors cannot be specified for a template using a TEXT template mode: template insertion operations must be always performed on whole template files, not fragments

General Comments

The only other thing I would mention here, if you have not already seen or used it, is parameterized fragments. They can make HTML fragments more flexible and re-usable.

Define and insert Thymeleaf fragments in TEXT templates

1 Answers1

Variables in the Plain Text Version

Defining and Using Fragments for Text

General Comments

Linked