Automatic partials

index.php

<?php

/**
 * a controller vm
 * w/o explicit reference to any data
 */

class controller {}

$controller_tpl = '
	<h1>The team</h1>
	{{> members_collection}}
';

/**
 * partial vms
 * with their own data
 */

class members_collection {
	public $data;
	
	public function __toString() {
		$template = '
			<ul>
				{{# data}}
					{{> members_object}}
				{{/ data}}
			</ul>
		';
		
		return mustache::parse($template, $this);
	}
	
	public function __construct() {
		$this->data = array(
			new members_object('Foo Bar'),
			new members_object('Bar Baz'),
			new members_object('Baz Foo'),
		);
	}
}

class members_object {
	public $name;
	
	public function __toString() {
		$template = '
			<li>{{name}}</li>
		';
		
		return mustache::parse($template, $this);
	}
	
	public function __construct($name='Mr. X') {
		$this->name = $name;
	}
}

/**
 * rendering
 */

class mustache {
	public static function parse($template, $data) {
		require_once 'Mustache/Autoloader.php';
		Mustache_Autoloader::register();
		
		$mustache_options = array(
			'partials' => array(
				'members_collection' => new members_collection,
				'members_object'     => new members_object,
			),
		);
		
		$mustache = new Mustache_Engine($mustache_options);
		
		return $mustache->render($template, $data);
	}
}

echo mustache::parse($controller_tpl, new controller);