Netbeans template with Freemarker: built-in with argument fails

Question

I'm setting up some custom Netbeans Java template. When I'm using built-in function without argument such as ${name?lower_case} , my template works fine. However, when I'm using a function with argument, I end up with an error (generated file is empty).

the so-called function is removing_ending . I have a Test.java and I want to generate a TestView.java which relies on Test.java :

<#assign type = ${name?remove_ending("View")}>

<#if package?? && package != "">
package ${package};
</#if>

import com.company.project.AbstractClass;

public class ${name} extends AbstractClass<${type}>{

}

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I wonder if I missed some import but the function is said to be built-in so I assumed it's available.

• I tried to added <#ftl> at the top of the template without success
• Having type = "${name?remove_ending("View")}" (double quote) or escaping quotes around the View word didn't help neither

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EDIT & Solution

• On Windows, Netbeans logs are located to %USER_HOME%/AppData/Roaming/NetBeans/{netbeans version}/var/log/messages.log
• I haven't looked for which version of FreeMarker Netbeans 8.2 is using but the command remove_ending was simply not available. I used a name?substring(0, name?length - 4)
• Template files are localed in %USER_HOME%\\AppData\\Roaming\\NetBeans{netbeans version}\\config\\Templates

Answer 1

The correct syntax is <#assign type = name?remove_ending("View")> . No ${} is needed there.

Also, I don't know NetBeans, but there must be at least some log somewhere that tells you what the error was. (That it silently gives you empty output, without any error popup, is not very user friendly to say the least. Might worth filling a bug report at NetBeans.) If not, you can test your syntax on http://try.freemarker.org/ (though of course you won't have the same data-model, nor perhaps the same FreeMarker version, but in this case for example it tells you what the problem is).