What is the "Typst-way" mental model around templates with shared logic and defaults?

[Andrew]

@a_w

So do I understand you correctly that this would turn my example into something like this:

main.typ

#import "template.typ": *
#show: template.with(headline-size: 18pt)

#set page(margin: (top: 10%))
#set text(size: 12pt, font: "Libertinus Sans")

#let colorize = colorize.with(color: blue)
#let colorbox = colorbox.with(color: blue)

= Headline

This should be #colorize("red") by default, but #colorize("blue") in after setting the `highlight-color` to blue. As should #colorbox("this").

and

template.typ

#let colorize(body, color: red) = {
  set text(color)
  body
}

#let colorbox(body, color: red) = {
  box(fill: color, body)
}

#let template(doc, headline-size: 12pt) = {

  set page(margin: (top: 5%))
  set text(size: 12pt, font: "Comic Neue")

  show heading: set text(size: headline-size)

  doc
}

Well, mostly yes, but if you want, you can add the font and margin parameters to the template() and just use one global show rule. But also this:

#let colorize(body, color: red) = text(color, body)

#let colorbox(body, color: red) = box(fill: color, body)

I think I remember that in some rare cases set text(color) would work better, but if you just apply this directly on a normal text, then you can use a shorter version.

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@a_w

Would you say this means… in terms of rules (for myself!):

• Just leave everything that can be set and is “procedural” so to speak as is in the template (meaning no further adaption for a template/variation setup needed)

Not sure what procedural means here, but the majority of set and show-set rules supposed to be in a template function, this is literally what it’s for, generally speaking.

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@a_w

• Standalone functions get named arguments that can be directly modified using .with
• Show-Rules are either left out of the template (and stay in each seperate file) altogether or get arguments on the template function if they really should be shared

Yes.

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@a_w

• … missing something?

Well, the state thing, I guess, but that’s about it.