====== How {{macro}} searches template files by aliases? ======

{{macro}} can work both with //absolute// template file paths and //aliases//(//relative// ones):
  * /var/dev/project/template/news.phtml - absolute path
  * news.phtml - an alias

{{macro}} resolves aliases using **template locator**. Template locator can be passed as a third argument of lmbMacroTemplate class, a default locator is used if one is not specified.

===== In case of using {{macro}} directly =====

By default {{macro}} is looking for template files only in **templates/** folder of your application. You can change this by passing a fourth argument into constructor of lmbMacroConfig class.

<code php>

$config = new lmbMacroConfig($cache_dir = dirname(__FILE__ ) . '/cache/',
                             $is_force_compile = false,
                             $is_force_scan = false,
                             $tpl_scan_dirs = array($dir1, $dir2, ...));

$macro = new lmbMacroTemplate('tpl.phtml', $config);
</code>



===== In case of using {{macro}} via VIEW package =====

VIEW creates {{macro}} template with an extended version of template locator that, apart from standard behaviour, looks for templates in **templates** folders of other Limb3 packages. The extended locator also caches resolved template paths in the file system. You can find locator cache files in var/locators/macro_locator.php file of your application.

You can specify directories list for template locator by redefining **LIMB_TEMPLATES_INCLUDE_PATH**   constant, e.g.:
<code php>
define('LIMB_TEMPLATES_INCLUDE_PATH', 'my_path/design;/my/other/path/design_repository;template;limb/*/template');
</code>

directories are separated with **;** symbol, and  ***** means any matches.

===== How to implement your own template file aliases resolving strategy? =====

{{macro}} has a simple interface called lmbMacroTemplateLocatorInterface:
<code php>
interface lmbMacroTemplateLocatorInterface {
  function __construct($config);
  function locateSourceTemplate($file_name);
  function locateCompiledTemplate($file_name);
}
</code>
You should just pass an object that implements this interfaces as a third argument of lmbMacroTemplate constructor. 

<code php>
$macro = new lmbMacroTemplate('tpl.phtml', $config, new MyOwnTemplateLocator());
</code>