Hello,

I am trying to use the render_to_string function in a Django project to render an HTML template (strategy.html) that contains several Django Template Language variables and conditionals, and then save the resulting HTML into a database model. When I trigger this via the 'Save' button, the output is saved but the context variables are not being rendered. However, when I use the render function (via the 'Generate' button), the DTL variables and if conditions display correctly.

Below is my views.py code:

PYTHONCopied
from django.shortcuts import render, redirect
from django.contrib.auth.decorators import login_required
from django.template.loader import render_to_string
from strategiesAPI.models import strategiesList

@login_required
def index(request):
    if request.method == "POST":
        # Get form information
        starttime = request.POST.get("starttime")
        endtime = request.POST.get("endtime")
        trigger = request.POST.get("trigger")
        entrieslimit = request.POST.get("entrieslimit")
        direction = request.POST.get("direction")
        pattern = request.POST.get("pattern")
        stoploss = request.POST.get("stoploss")
        takeprofit = request.POST.get("takeprofit")
        tradeliquid = request.POST.get("tradeliquid")

        # Context variables for the render and render_to_string function 
        content = {
                "starttime": starttime, 
                "endtime": endtime, 
                "trigger": trigger, 
                "entrieslimit": entrieslimit, 
                "direction": direction, 
                "pattern": pattern, 
                "stoploss": stoploss, 
                "takeprofit": takeprofit, 
                "tradeliquid": tradeliquid
                    }
        
        # Action based on the button pressed inside the index.html template

        # GENERATE button
        if request.POST['button'] == 'Generate':
            # Write strategy on the right side of the page using the user's inputs
            return render(request, "composer/index.html", content)

        # SAVE button
        if request.POST['button'] == 'Save':
            # Save the strategy DTL output into the db model using the render_to_string function
            strategy_html = render_to_string("composer/strategy.html", content)
            strategiesList.objects.create(script=strategy_html)
            return render(request, "composer/index.html")
    else:
        return render(request, "composer/index.html")

The following is what is saved in the database and the content of strategy.html, which is part of index.html. This file contains the DTL variables and conditionals that aren’t rendered correctly:

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<!-------------------------------------- Right-side EasyLanguage & DTL output -------------------------------------->

<div class="right" id="output" style="font-size: 11px;"> 
    // EasyLanguage code composer by ©SOACM. All rights reserved // 

    


    <!-------------------------------------- Breakout -------------------------------------->
    
    <!-------------------------------------- Breakout end ----------------------------------->

    <!-------------------------------------- Reversal -------------------------------------->
    
    <!-------------------------------------- Reversal end ------------------------------------->
</div>

HTMLCopied
<!-------------------------------------- Right-side EasyLanguage & DTL output -------------------------------------->

<div class="right" id="output" style="font-size: 11px;"> 
    // EasyLanguage code composer by ©SOACM. All rights reserved // 

    


    <!-------------------------------------- Breakout -------------------------------------->
    {% if trigger == "breakout" %}
        input: StartTime({{ starttime }}), EndTime({{ endtime }}), MyStopLoss({{ stoploss }}), MyTakeProfit({{ takeprofit }}); 

        var: bool MyTime(False), int MP(0); 

            MP = MarketPosition; 

            MyTime = False; 

            if Time >= StartTime and Time <= EndTime and EntriesToday(date[0]) < 1 then MyTime = True; 

            

            {% if pattern == "none" %}
            // Levels 

            if date <> date[1] then begin 

            var: highd1(0), lowd1(0); 

            highd1 = HighS(1); 

            lowd1 = LowS(1); 

            end; 

            {% endif %}
            

Thank you in advance for any insights.

EDIT: Could this issue be related to Django’s security features, such as the make_safe function?