{linkBase} brings consistency to linking

However, this flexibility can present one developer challenge: what happens when a single layout suddenly gets used by presenters that are at “different levels” in the directory structure?

For example, we have @layout.latte for administration, where we want navigation with links to various sections:

<nav>
    <a n:href="Dashboard:">Dashboard</a>
    <a n:href="Products:Overview:">Products</a>
    <a n:href="Users:list">Users</a>
</nav>

When this layout is used by the Admin:Dashboard presenter, the links will correctly lead to Admin:Dashboard:default, Admin:Users:list, etc. But what if the same layout is used by the Admin:Products:Detail presenter? Relative links will suddenly be derived from it and lead to non-existent targets (e.g., Admin:Products:Dashboard:default).

Previously, this was solved by writing all links as absolute paths (or using aliases):

{* Everything absolute *}
<nav>
    <a n:href=":Admin:Dashboard:">Dashboard</a>
    <a n:href=":Admin:Products:Overview:">Products</a>
    <a n:href=":Admin:Users:list">Users</a>
</nav>

This works, but has its drawbacks. Especially if you later decide to move the module elsewhere or rename it.

The solution: {linkBase}

Nette Application 3.2.7 introduces an elegant solution in the form of a new Latte tag {linkBase}. It defines the base from which all relative links in the template will be derived.

{linkBase Admin}

<nav>
    <a n:href="Dashboard:">Dashboard</a>
    <a n:href="Products:Overview:">Products</a>
    <a n:href="Users:list">Users</a>
</nav>

Now it doesn't matter which presenter calls the layout. All relative links will be derived from the Admin module:

• Dashboard: → Admin:Dashboard:default
• Products:Overview: → Admin:Products:Overview:default
• Users:list → Admin:Users:list

{linkBase} only affects relative links – those that don't start with a colon. Absolute links (:Admin:Dashboard) and links to the current presenter (this, show) remain unchanged.

The tag applies to the entire template and works with all ways of creating links: {link}, {plink}, n:href.

Bonus: |absoluteUrl filter

Nette Application 3.2.7 also brings another useful addition – the Latte filter |absoluteUrl. It normalizes URLs to absolute form, which is useful when you need a guaranteed absolute address:

<meta property="og:image" content={$imagePath|absoluteUrl}>

Update to Nette Application 3.2.7 and tell us what you think of the new features.