4 files changed, 54 insertions, 1 deletions

diff --git a/lib/template.js b/lib/template.js
index ec1b391..070173c 100644
--- a/lib/template.js
+++ b/lib/template.js
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ var path = require("path");
 var nunjucks = require("nunjucks");
 
 var git = require("./utils/git");
+var stringUtils = require("./utils/string");
 var fs = require("./utils/fs");
 var pkg = require("../package.json");
 
@@ -65,6 +66,9 @@ var TemplateEngine = function(book) {
 			}
 		}
 	);
+
+    // List of tags shortcuts
+    this.shortcuts = [];
 };
 
 
@@ -86,6 +90,7 @@ TemplateEngine.prototype.addBlock = function(name, block) {
     var that = this;
 
     block = _.defaults(block || {}, {
+        shortcuts: [],
         end: "end"+name,
         process: _.identity,
         blocks: []
@@ -93,7 +98,7 @@ TemplateEngine.prototype.addBlock = function(name, block) {
 
     var extName = 'Block'+name+'Extension';
     if (this.env.getExtension(extName)) {
-        this.log.warn.ln("conflict in blocks, '"+extName+"' is already defined");
+        this.log.warn.ln("conflict in blocks, '"+name+"' is already defined");
         return false;
     }
 
@@ -194,6 +199,31 @@ TemplateEngine.prototype.addBlock = function(name, block) {
 
     // Add the Extension
     this.env.addExtension(extName, new Ext());
+
+    // Add shortcuts
+    if (!_.isArray(block.shortcuts)) block.shortcuts = [block.shortcuts];
+    _.each(block.shortcuts, function(shortcut) {
+        this.log.debug.ln("add template shortcut from '"+shortcut.start+"' to block '"+name+"'");
+        this.shortcuts.push({
+            start: shortcut.start,
+            end: shortcut.end,
+            tag: {
+                start: name,
+                end: block.end
+            }
+        });
+    }, this);
+};
+
+// Apply a shortcut to a string
+TemplateEngine.prototype._applyShortcut = function(content, shortcut) {
+    var regex = new RegExp(
+        stringUtils.escapeRegex(shortcut.start) + "\\s*([\\s\\S]*?[^\\$])\\s*" + stringUtils.escapeRegex(shortcut.end),
+       'g'
+    );
+    return content.replace(regex, function(all, match) {
+        return "{% "+shortcut.tag.start+" %}"+ match + "{% "+shortcut.tag.end+" %}";
+    });
 };
 
 // Render a string from the book
@@ -210,6 +240,9 @@ TemplateEngine.prototype.renderString = function(content, context, options) {
     options = _.defaults(options || {}, { path: null});
     if (options.path) options.path = this.book.resolve(options.path);
 
+    // Replace shortcuts
+    content = _.reduce(this.shortcuts, this._applyShortcut.bind(this), content);
+
     return Q.nfcall(this.env.renderString.bind(this.env), content, context, options);
 };
 
diff --git a/lib/utils/string.js b/lib/utils/string.js
index 72a9ca0..588f4d9 100644
--- a/lib/utils/string.js
+++ b/lib/utils/string.js
@@ -20,7 +20,12 @@ function optionsToShellArgs(options) {
     .join(" ");
 }
 
+function escapeRegex(str) {
+    return str.replace(/[\-\[\]\/\{\}\(\)\*\+\?\.\\\^\$\|]/g, "\\$&");
+}
+
 module.exports = {
+    escapeRegex: escapeRegex,
     escapeShellArg: escapeShellArg,
     optionsToShellArgs: optionsToShellArgs,
     toLowerCase: String.prototype.toLowerCase.call.bind(String.prototype.toLowerCase)
diff --git a/test/plugins.js b/test/plugins.js
index 3c60a20..43ce497 100644
--- a/test/plugins.js
+++ b/test/plugins.js
@@ -98,6 +98,16 @@ describe('Plugins', function () {
             );
         });
 
+        it('should correctly accept shortcuts', function(done) {
+            qdone(
+                books[0].template.renderString('$$hello$$')
+                .then(function(content) {
+                    assert.equal(content, "testhellotest");
+                }),
+                done
+            );
+        });
+
         it('should correctly extend template blocks with defined end', function(done) {
             qdone(
                 books[0].template.renderString('{% test2 %}hello{% endtest2end %}')
diff --git a/test/plugins/blocks/index.js b/test/plugins/blocks/index.js
index b8f72fe..0a02ff7 100644
--- a/test/plugins/blocks/index.js
+++ b/test/plugins/blocks/index.js
@@ -3,6 +3,11 @@ var assert = require("assert");
 module.exports = {
     blocks: {
     	"test": {
+            shortcuts: {
+                parsers:  ["markdown"],
+                start: "$$",
+                end: "$$"
+            },
     		process: function(blk) {
     			return "test"+blk.body+"test";
     		}