- What is mindy/template and how does it integrate with Laravel?
- mindy/template is a lightweight, file-based template rendering package for Mindy and Laravel-style PHP applications. It provides layouts, sections, partials, automatic escaping, and compiled template caching, while its framework-agnostic core can be wired into Laravel's service container. In Laravel it is best treated as an isolated rendering adapter, not as the default view layer.
- How do I install mindy/template with Composer in a Laravel app?
- Install it with Composer using composer require mindy/template, assuming the repository is published and tagged. Laravel integration is not fully turnkey according to the technical evaluation: expect to register a service provider or adapter, configure the template directory, and set a compiled-cache path. Confirm PSR-4 autoloading and package constraints before adding it to an existing app.
- Is mindy/template a drop-in replacement for Blade?
- No. Blade is Laravel's native view layer, while mindy/template is a standalone file-based engine that can be plugged into Laravel's container. Use it only behind an internal TemplateRenderer contract for a specific compatibility need; do not migrate existing Blade templates to it.
- Which PHP and Laravel versions does mindy/template support?
- The provided context does not publish a definitive PHP or Laravel compatibility matrix, so verify the composer.json constraints and test against your target versions. The evaluation specifically calls out PHP 8.1, 8.2, 8.3 and Laravel 10, 11, and 12 as versions to validate. Do not assume support until Composer install, rendering, and error handling pass in your app.
- How do layouts, sections, and partials work in mindy/template?
- mindy/template supports layouts and partials so reusable view fragments and page structure stay separate from controller code. Sections and layout inheritance let you compose pages without duplicating markup, similar to common templating engines. Exact syntax and section behavior should be verified against your templates because the package is not a Blade-compatible engine.
- Does mindy/template automatically escape output to prevent XSS?
- It advertises automatic data escaping to reduce XSS risk in rendered output. That is a useful default, but you should verify escaping is applied consistently across layouts, partials, and any raw-output escape hatch. If untrusted users can edit templates, treat template injection and sandbox boundaries as a security review item.
- How does template caching work in mindy/template?
- Yes, it caches compiled templates for faster repeat renders. The provided context does not describe cache invalidation details, so plan to clear or rebuild the compiled cache during deploys and when templates change. Test cache behavior in staging before relying on it in production.
- Is mindy/template compatible with Twig or Jinja2 templates?
- The package claims Twig, Jinja2, and DTE compatibility, but the technical evaluation warns that this may be partial compatibility or a custom dialect with overlapping syntax. Partial compatibility is risky because differences often surface at edge cases in production. Run your real templates through it and confirm which dialect is canonical before committing.
- Is mindy/template production-ready and actively maintained?
- Treat it as a spike candidate, not a production platform commitment. The evaluation flags high risk from very low adoption, a single maintainer, no clear release cadence, and security-sensitive parser concerns; MIT licensing helps with forking but turns the dependency into an ownership obligation. Before production, write a Laravel adapter, feature-flag it, diff output against Blade for the same data, compare exceptions, and complete a security review.
- What are alternatives to mindy/template for Laravel templating?
- For Laravel-native views, Blade is still the default and lowest-risk choice. If you specifically need Twig, evaluate twig/twig with a maintained bridge such as TwigBridge. If you need cross-dialect or Jinja2-oriented templates, define an internal renderer contract and compare mindy/template against building or maintaining a dedicated adapter.