====== Where {{macro}} looks for tags and filters ======

===== Dictionaries =====

{{macro}} supports only tags and filters that are registered in special **dictionaries**:
  * **tags dictionary**,
  * **filters dictionary**

{{macro}} searches tags in:
  * limb/macro/src/tags - by default
  * limb/*/src/macro and src/macro of your Limb3-based application in case of using VIEW package.

{{macro}} searches filters in:
  * limb/macro/src/filters - by default
  * limb/*/src/macro and src/macro of your Limb3-based application in case of using VIEW package.

{{macro}} processes only the certain kind of files:
  * ***.tag.php** - as tag files.
  * ***.filter.php** - as filter files.
  * all other files are skipped.

As a rule, dictionaries are filled once only and then cached. Dictionaries cache files can be found in **var/compiled ** folder of your application. If you create a new {{macro}} tag, just remove dictionaries cache files and {{macro}} will find your new tag on next template compilation.

===== Annotations =====

In the head of each {{macro}} tag or filter file there is an **annotation block** that hold some essential meta information, like tag or filter name or aliases, required attributes, etc. Let's take a look at {{list:empty}} tag file (limb/macro/src/tags/list/list_empty.tag.php):

<code php>
/**
 * Empty List tag for a list which failed to have any contents
 * @tag list:empty
 * @aliases list:default 
 * @parent_tag_class lmbMacroListTag
 * @package macro
 * @version $Id$
 */
class lmbMacroListEmptyTag extends lmbMacroTag
{
}

</code>

@tag, @req_attributes, @forbig_end_tag - are annotations:
  * **@tag** - default name of the tag
  * **@req_attributes** - required attributes
  * **@aliases** - other names of the tag
  * **@parent_tag_class** - class name of a tag that must be a parent for the tag.
  * **@forbig_end_tag** - tells that the tag does not required a closing tag.

The complete list of annotations for tags and filters see at [[how_to_create_new_tag|How to create your own tags]] and [[how_to_create_new_filter|How to create your own filters]].