How do I generate a non-well-formed HTML snippet, ...

# kotlinx-html

[Mikael Ståldal]

How do I generate a non-well-formed HTML snippet, containing multiple elements without a wrapping element? E.g.

<option value="a1">A1</option>
<option value="a3">A3</option>
<option value="a6">A6</option>

(without the containing <select> element.) This is for JVM server-side, I am generating HTML snippets to be requested with AJAX and inserted into the DOM on the client.

I can do this to get it with a wrapping <select> element:

val models = listOf(IdName("a1", "A1"), IdName("a3", "A3"), IdName("a6", "A6"))
    val html: String = createHTML()
        .select {
            for (model in models) {
                option {
                    attributes["value"] = model.id
                    +model.name
                }
            }
        }

but how do I get rid of the wrapping element?

[Cies]

you can make a custom element that does not respect the HTML5 spec. You can also hackishly remove the select element before sending the snippet out.

[Cies]

https://github.com/kotlin/kotlinx.html/wiki/Micro-templating-and-DSL-customizing

[Mikael Ståldal]

But I don't want a custom element, I want no element.

[Cies]

The custom element can be for option then you can make it in a way that --unlike the non-custom option element-- it can occur everywhere in the HTML (and not only in a select)

[Cies]

So you dont want a custom "select" but oyu do want a custom "optoin"

[Mikael Ståldal]

OK, but I don't have a problem to create one non-custom option element without a `select`:

val html: String = createHTML().option {
        value = "value"
        +"name"
    }

[Cies]

If one works, all work. I think you solved it!

[Mikael Ståldal]

No, since I get a String and cannot add more elements.

[Mikael Ståldal]

I created an issue for this: https://github.com/Kotlin/kotlinx.html/issues/228

[Mikael Ståldal]

Or well, I can do this:

models.joinToString(separator = "") { model ->
                    createHTML().option {
                        value = model.id
                        +model.name
                    }
                }

But it is not very nice.

[Mikael Ståldal]

I think I found a proper solution:

@HtmlTagMarker
inline fun <T, C : TagConsumer<T>> C.fragment(crossinline block: TagConsumer<T>.() -> Unit): T {
    try {
        this.block()
    } catch (err: Throwable) {
        this.onTagError(HTMLTag("", this, emptyMap(), null, inlineTag = false, emptyTag = false), err)
    }
    return this.finalize()
}

[Mikael Ståldal]

So I can do this:

createHTML().fragment {
        models.forEach { model ->
            option {
                value = choice.id
                +choice.name
            }
        }
    }

[Mikael Ståldal]

Or no, that does not work properly, it ends up calling TagConsumer.finalize() multiple times. Back to the drawing board.

[Mikael Ståldal]

Can do this:

@HtmlTagMarker
inline fun <T, C : TagConsumer<T>> C.fragment(crossinline block: DIV.() -> Unit): T {
    DIV(emptyMap(), this).block()
    return this.finalize()
}

But not for all elements, not for e.g. <tr> and <option>.