Template Definition

Cutout templates use a syntax inspired by Liquid, but use C# expressions instead of the custom language that Liquid uses. The template reads like Liquid and the expressions behave like C#.

Syntax Overview

• Literals: Any text outside of {{ ... }} or {% ... %} is treated as a string literal and written directly to the output.
• Expressions: Use {{ ... }} to insert the value of any valid C# expression.
• Blocks: Use {% ... %} for control flow (e.g., if, for, foreach, while) and function calls.
• Whitespace Control: Whitespace can be managed using the - character, similar to Liquid. For example, {%- ... -%} trims whitespace around the block.

Example

private const string Template = """
    {% if name == "Bob" %}
    Hello Bob
    {% else %}
    Hello {{ name }}
    {% end %}
    """;

[Cutout.Template(Template)]
public static partial void MyTemplateMethod(StringBuilder sb, string name);

Whitespace Handling

Cutout supports whitespace control similar to Liquid's whitespace basics :

• {% ... %}: Preserves whitespace around the block.
• {%- ... %}: Trims whitespace before the block.
• {% ... -%}: Trims whitespace after the block.
• {%- ... -%}: Trims whitespace both before and after the block.
• The same applies to output tags: {{ ... }}, {{- ... }}, {{ ... -}}, {{- ... -}}.

This controls the formatting of the generated code, which is what keeps the indentation of the output correct.

Deviations from Liquid Standard

Feature	Cutout	Liquid
End block	one {% end %} closes every block	{% endif %}, {% endfor %}
Expressions	any valid C# expression	Liquid's own language
Function calls	{% call Function(args) %}	not supported
Loop syntax	for, foreach, while	for ... in ...
Whitespace control	- modifier, as in Liquid	- modifier
Conditionals	if, elseif, else	also has unless and others