Convert pTemplates into Smarty Templates

[zpin]

Generally, I agree with you. I've never had much trouble on the debugging front with Smarty but the more complex the template "language" becomes the less it's justified over simply using PHP.
The advantages I see: simpler syntax ({$X} instead of <?php echo $X ?>) and (still) restricted functionality.
In this case I took Smarty because it's syntax resembles the current pTemplate syntax and the changes in the .php files were minimal. It was the most efficient way to improve the templating situation.
Also in our case the goal is to not even get into these debugging problems by keeping the use simple. Actually, this should always be the goal. If your templates get too complex you might be doing it wrong.