I have checked many templates and not found a really stright forwared simple templets script. So i decided to write my own.
The idea is to have a template like php mixed with html.
A template that processed twice:
- 1st time prepeared with static data
- 2nd time - each time a request is made.
The template is compiled at runtime when preloaded in to a simple javascript funciton.
My requirement was a minimal learning curve.
The template is planed for nodejs to be prepeared once and used many times.
I decided on <??> tags for runtime part of the template.
I decided on <%%> tags for prepeare part of the template.
hello <? if(myvar) { ?><?=myvar?><? } else { ?> world<? }?>
A complex template example with calling other template and recursion,
A website with satic recusive menu and dynamic content in the center
<html>
<head><title>complex template example</title></head>
<body>
<table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
<tr>
<td dir="rtl" style="padding:10px;text-align:right;direction:rtl">
<?=content?>
</td>
<td dir="rtl" width="225" bgcolor="#ccd5f4" style="padding:10px;text-align:right;direction:rtl">
<%
function print_menu(menu1)
{
var echo; //redefine local echo variable
for(link in menu1)
{
echo+='<?link='+JSON.stringify(link)+'?>';
%>
<ul>
<li><a href="<?=link.href?>"><?=link.name?></a></li>
<%=print_menu(menu1)%>
</ul>
<%
}
return echo;
}
echo+=print_menu(menu); // echo is defined in the begining of the function
// and returned at the end of the function.
%>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<%=this.templates.footer(vars);
// vars is an argument of the template function, it is extracted at the begining of function.
// it calls for other template , with same variable you have in this function
// for more information see buildtemplate function below.
%>
</body>
</html>
var te = require('doubletemplate'); //load double teplate module
or var loadtemplate=require('doubletemplate').loadtemplate; // only load template function
te.parsedir(__dirname+'/templates',this,{'app':app});
te.loadfile(__dirname+'/templates/filename.html',this,{'app':app},__dirname);
te.templates['subdir/filename.html'].call(this,{name:'your name'});
var mytemplate=te.loadtemplate(__dirname+'/templates/filename.html',this,{'app':app});
mytemplate.call(this,{name:'your name'});
the code is in stright forward logic you can read it and understand how it works.
- add managed templates = reload templates automaticaly
- to add parsing of first ; position for output shortcut tag to allow easier convertion to non bloking style if needed.
- later I plan to rewrite it to support html paritials with sizzle css selector. like styling html with paritial html.
- later I plan to enhance the api and the module structure. for now what is here is enought for me.
unclosed quotes in javascript may lead to show the source of the template in a full or in a paritial way.
if it tells you unexpected token ">" it might mean that there is a missing question mark "?" before it, and it is a part of "?>"
if you get a duplicate page header and footer like 3 to 8 times it might be becuse you have an extra spontaneous html tag at the bottom, it is just becuase chrome randers it badly, chrome creates a new extra div tag similar to a one in that place, to createa an openning tag for the spontaneous close tag.
it might help to have a page object and app object, example will be added later as used in nodejs-mongo-app.
to load tampaltes on in the prepere strage. use .call to change the object of this of the function:
templatefunction.call(newthis,{});
the wrapper is a fun part of this templates system, it allows adding a wraper and receive a solid function after the template is prepered. and you can use it many times,
<%
this.load1('listgrid','paritials/listgrid.html'); // load a template
echo+=this.listgrid({'app':app,'page':page,'model_name':'model1','model':model1,'cursor_name':'cursor1'}); // run loaded template
echo=app.templates.admin.call(page,this._.replace(vars,{'content':echo})); //this is a wrapper,
// the result varibale called echo so you can play with it:
// save it,clear it , acamulate again, change it , restore it appaned the changed ...,
// and so you have a wrapper. a good idea only use it in the preperaring step only.
%>
by Shimon Doodkin, helpmepro1@gmail.com http://github.com/shimondoodkin/nodejs-meta-templates