Dynamic Snippets

[rgardner]

I'd like to dynamically include the current date/time in a snippet for markdown.
The snippet would look something like this.

'.source.gfm':
  'Header':
    'prefix': 'header'
    'body': 'My name - `Date.today.strftime('%D')`'

which would print:

My name - 4/2/14
Date.today.strftime('%D') is Ruby, the equivalent js a little longer (unless there's an easier way):

var d = new Date();
var curr_date = d.getDate();
var curr_month = d.getMonth();
curr_month++;
var curr_year = d.getFullYear();
console.log(curr_month + "/" + curr_date + "/" + curr_year);

Thoughts?
I originally posted this on the atom forum

[pathawks]

Related: #83

[joefitzgerald]

#106 + an autocomplete-plus provider could address this, once I am done with #106 and https://github.com/atom-community/autocomplete-plus/pull/245.

[zaz]

So this still hasn't been implemented? What needs doing? Someone needs to fix pull request #83?

---

@rgardner: I would use Moment.js:

require moment
moment().format("YYYY-MM-DD")

Please don't format dates jumbled up. You wouldn't write 50:43:08, so please don't write 05-21-98. It's annoying to anyone who either a) wants to sort the dates programmatically or b) is not American. I.e: most of the world.

[joefitzgerald]

This is done and is not dependent on #83. It was implemented in #110. autocomplete-plus uses this API to allow autocomplete providers to emit dynamic snippets for their suggestions. You can do so also, outside the context of an autocomplete-plus provider.

[joefitzgerald]

I suppose me stating this is done isn't fully accurate. The ability for packages to integrate with snippets to add dynamic snippets exists. Autocomplete-plus allows you to do so based on the scopechain underneath the current cursor. In either case, it requires an additional package to drive the requirements you're describing above, but the path is paved for that to happen.

#83 would allow people to add their own snippets and drive dynamic behavior without any other packages. You could also look to add this to autocomplete-snippets.

[imcoddy]

+1
Really wish to see this feature coming out as it is a bit annoying to add a timestamp to a file by hand

[twz915]

+1 really wish to have this function to add a timestamp too

[Strae]

+1

[pathawks]

@Strae Rather than just adding a +1 style comment, Github now allows you to add an emoji reaction to an issue. Giving an issue a 👍 is more appropriate than leaving the equivalent comment.

[calebmeyer]

Alternative way to accomplish this that's mildly more flexible:

'.source.gfm':
  'Header':
    'prefix': 'header'
    'body': 'My name - $date'
    'variables':
      'date': '''
        require moment
        moment().format("YYYY-MM-DD")
      '''

If $date seems weird then we could put date in backticks instead

I say this way is more flexible because it allows you to reuse the variables more than once.

[Strae]

@calebmeyer this is great, requiring modules also let us keep the snippet file clean

Im wondering if is possible declaring all the variables in the begin of the snippets file, then use them when needed inside elements

[calebmeyer]

@Strae yeah, that would be even better than what I had there, although we'd have to be clear about when things were evaluated. Ideally every variable is evaluated lazily when it's needed; that way you don't end up with yesterday's date if you leave atom open overnight.

Scoping rules would be pretty easy, too. Just search up the tree until you find a variables block that contains the variable you're looking for.