Why did you choose ETA over handlebars or pug?

[mariomui]

Im just asking cuz i'm interested in engineering decisions.

[aidenlx]

Worth answering since v2 changed the decision: Liquid is now the default template language, not Eta.

The reasoning is that templates ship to users who did not write them and sync between machines, so the default should not be arbitrary JavaScript execution. Liquid is sandboxed by construction: no host access, no way for a template to reach outside rendering, which makes shipping defaults and sharing templates safe by default. Eta is still supported for people who want real JavaScript, but it now sits behind an explicit per-device JavaScript Templates opt-in that never syncs.

Handlebars and pug were not the alternatives being weighed; the axis that mattered was capability versus sandboxing.

Background: https://zotlit.aidenlx.site/docs/concepts/javascript-templates

v2 beta is available now: https://zotlit.aidenlx.site/docs/install-zotlit
Migration guide: https://zotlit.aidenlx.site/docs/how-to/migrate-from-v1