# View

## Description

The `view` function allows you to render any of the view files that you place within the `/views` directory. When you call `view`, Pode will automatically look within this directory.

Pode uses a View Engine to either render HTML, Pode, or other types. Default is HTML, and you can change it to Pode by using the [`engine`](https://pode.gitbook.io/docs/functions/engine) function.

## Examples

1. The following example will render the `index.html` view when you navigate to `http://localhost:8080`:

   ```
    Server {
        listen *:8080 http

        route get '/' {
            view 'index'
        }
    }
   ```
2. The following example will render the `index.pode` view when you navigate to `http://localhost:8080`:

   ```
    Server {
        listen *:8080 http
        engine pode

        route get '/' {
            view 'index'
        }
    }
   ```
3. The following example will render the `index.pode` view when you navigate to `http://localhost:8080`, it will also supply dynamic data - in this case, the current date:

   > The dynamic data can be used in your pode view via `$($data.date)`

   ```
    Server {
        listen *:8080 http
        engine pode

        route get '/' {
            view 'index' -d @{ 'date' = [DateTime]::Now }
        }
    }
   ```

## Parameters

| Name | Type      | Required | Description                                                                                          | Default |
| ---- | --------- | -------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------- |
| Path | string    | true     | The path to the view to render, relative to your `/views` directory                                  | null    |
| data | hashtable | false    | A hashtable of dynamic data that will be supplied to `.pode`, and other third-party template engines | `@{}`   |


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