UCE Docs / component

Renders another .uce file as a component and returns the captured output as a String.

component() resolves the target file relative to the current page and also tries the components/ prefix automatically, mirroring the shorthand used by the starter example project.

Component props are passed in context.props.

Because <?= ... ?> HTML-escapes its value, embed component markup with <?: component(...) ?>, print(component(...)), or use component_render(...) for direct output.

Named Components

When name contains a colon, such as components/card:BODY, the part after the colon selects a named component handler exported from the component file through COMPONENT:BODY(Request& context).

The default handler is COMPONENT(Request& context).

When name starts with a colon, such as :BODY, the target resolves against the current .uce file so component files can call their own named handlers without repeating the file name.

When a component unit defines ONCE(Request& context), the runtime calls that hook once per request, per resolved component file, before the first COMPONENT() or COMPONENT:NAME() handler from that file runs.

Resolution Order

• exact file name

• exact file name with .uce

• the same two forms under components/

Common Patterns

Default component handler:

Named component handler:

Self-targeted named handler from inside the same file:

Preparing props in C++ before rendering:

Embedding returned component markup inside a literal block:

Because <?= ... ?> escapes HTML, use <?: ... ?> when inserting the returned markup from component().

Lifecycle Notes

• INIT(Request& context) runs once when the worker loads that unit into memory.

• ONCE(Request& context) runs once per request before the first component or render entrypoint from that file.

• component() then calls either COMPONENT(Request& context) or the selected COMPONENT:NAME(Request& context) handler.