Useful Velocity Methods

Values#

isSet() — is the field set?

#if($UtilMethods.isSet($content.variable))

.contains() checks if the field contains a value. Used with check boxes, radio boxes and drop downs; these add a comma to the content, so you can't use .equals()

#if($content.officeOrDepartment.contains('Value'))

.equals() checks string values:

#if($term.equals('Fall'))

For variables:

#if(!$dateMonth.equals($currentMonth))

Request Object#

Request parameter: This will get the value of id, if it is passed in via URL or a POST. For more, see Request, Response, Session.

$request.getParameter("id")

Looping#

Count within a loop:

$velocityCount

This variable is updated automatically in the for-loops, it starts with value: 1. To check if equal to a value:

#if($velocityCount == 1)

Date Formatting#

Month:

$date.format('MMMM', $content.date))

Year:

$date.format('yyyy', $content.date))

MM/DD/YYY:

$date.format('MM/dd/yyyy', $content.endSeason)
#set($dateYear = $date.get('yyyy'))
#set($nextYear = $webapi.parseInt($dateYear) + 1) 
## returns current year+1

Another formatting for date:

$UtilMethods.dateToHTMLDate($content.gameDatetime.toString(),'EEE MMM dd hh:mm:ss z yyyy','M/d/yyyy') 
## Eg: 7/6/2006
$UtilMethods.dateToHTMLDate($content.gameDatetime.toString(),'EEE MMM dd hh:mm:ss z yyyy','hh:mm:ss a')
## Eg: 11:30 AM

Containers#

Empty container check

#if($CONTAINER_NUM_CONTENTLETS == 0)

Lists#

.size() Can be used to determine if a content query brought any results..

#if($list.size() > 0)

Folders#

.findFolder() - Returns Folder where link was created:

#if($webapi.findFolder($content.form2LinkURL)=='/about_us/departments_and_offices/forms/admissions/international/')

With a variable:

#set($folder='international')
#if($webapi.findFolder($content.form1LinkURL)==$render.eval('/admissions/admissions_forms/$folder/'))

Random Generator#

Start with a query that pulls so many items — e.g., 5 — then we use the generator to randomly pick one:

#set($list = $utilMethods.randomList($list,1))
#set($content = $list.get($math.toInteger(0)))

If selecting only one random item, then we don't need to loop through the list; we can go straight to $content.{variable}

Strings#

Replace string:

$string2=$string1.replaceAll("/", "//")  
## replaces all / with //

Substring and string index:

$VTLSERVLET_URI.substring(0, $VTLSERVLET_URI.indexOf('/',1))
$VTLSERVLET_URI.indexOf('/',1))

The above example starts looking for / from the position 1, not including the character in 0.

Phone Formatter:

$stringsapi.formatPhoneNumber('12:34-56789001')