safer weather template by adding a remote config variable

[kayakbabe]

The compliments module is great. I love the remoteFile config variable so that I can add my own custom list of special date messages and other things. The beauty is that a custom file of compliments doesn’t get erased upon updating the mm and is easy to copy to another mirror instance. It is also easy to find to add or alter the compliments.

The weather module uses external template files like current.njk and forcast.njk. It is possible to modify them to make the weather appear as we like. But they are at risk of being overwritten by an update to the mirror.

I think that having a weather module config variable for a custom template would make updating less stressful and easier.

To that end I have modified my local weather module instance as follows.

In the weather module weather.js defaults section I added

	defaults: {
		remoteTemplate: "current.njk",

and I altered the getTemplate function to the following:

	// Select the template depending on the display type.
	getTemplate: function () {
		
		if (this.config.remoteTemplate !="") {return this.config.remoteTemplate}
		 else {
		
			switch (this.config.type.toLowerCase()) {
				case "current":
					return "current.njk";
				case "hourly":
					return "hourly.njk";
				case "daily":
				case "forecast":
					return "forecast.njk";
				//Make the invalid values use the "Loading..." from forecast
				default:
					return "forecast.njk";
			}
	   }
	},

Thus, if I do not create or set a remote template, the module will not fail, it will get the template it should.
But I want to use a custom template becuase I want control to the css tags used in the html so I can more easily customise the weather. I also wanted a different layout. So made copies of current.njk and forecast.njk and put them in the mm config folder. I also renamed them to be very clear they were my custom template.
Then,
in the weather section of my config.js
I added the relative path to my custom template file.

config: {
  remoteTemplate: "../../../../config/kellyforecast.njk",

I actually have a custom version of current and forecast templates. I can quickly tweak the templates and not get into the folder structure of the mm default modules.

I would like to contribute this to the mm repository.

[sdetweil]

@kayakbabe submit a PR on github

[sdetweil]

@kayakbabe compliments also is primarily configured thru the config.js, which will not be impacted by mm updates

[kayakbabe]

@sdetweil true, and it also allows for a remote file, an extra config file if you will. I think the weather should do the same for it’s templates.

[sdetweil]

@kayakbabe I understand. I was just describing what appeared to be a misunderstanding of how compliments is configured.

all the settings are in config.js, while A file can contain the text choices…

I understand your reason for changing the template, altho I find the dsl for njk completely obtuse, and wouldn’t wish that on anyone.

we have enough troubles w supporting just the settings
without opening the layout to user construction

[kayakbabe]

@sdetweil I totally get the difficulty in supporting people. I have been picking njk apart by examples already in the njk templates that I’ve found.