PHPTAL: a PHPTALES to check if a value exists and is not empty string.

feednews.php

function phptal_tales_notEmpty($src, $nothrow) {
    $src = trim($src);
    if (ctype_alnum($src)) return 'isset($ctx->' . $src . ') && "" !=== $ctx->' . $src;
    return '(null !== ($path = $ctx->path($ctx,' . PHPTAL_Php_TalesInternal::string($src) . ', true)) && "" !== $path)';
}