JsRender Node Starter

A Node.js app using JsRender to render templated views on the server, with Express 4, Hapi, or directly in the HTTP response.

This sample shows some of the features of JsRender Node integration, and provides a starting point for your own Node projects using templated rendering.

It also shows how to store JsRender templates on the file system on the server and then use them for either server-side or client-side rendering, or both. Client-side rendering in the browser can be either with JsRender, or with full dynamic data-binding scenarios using JsViews.

Accessing server-defined templates in the browser can be facilitated by using Browserify, with the JsRender tmplify Browserify transform, or by using the {{clientTemplate}} tag when rendering the server page.

Documentation and APIs: see JsRender Node.js Quickstart and JsRender for Node.js.

Install

To install all the dependencies used in the different demos of this JsRender Node Starter project, including JsRender and JsViews run:

$ npm install

To install JsRender in your own new project, run:

$ npm install jsrender --save

(Note: Similarly, you can use $ npm install jsviews --save to install JsViews in your own new project -- in order to provide jsviews.js from your server, for loading in the browser.)

Demo pages

The demo pages can be launched by running one of the different index-*.js alternative start scripts, or equivalently by using one of the following commands (and then opening a browser on the corresponding port):

• Simple Hapi application: JsRender template on the server:

$ npm run-script helloworld        # or $ node index-helloworld.js

• Express 4 application: JsRender templates on the server, and JsViews or JsRender in the browser:

$ npm run-script express           # or $ node index-express.js

• Hapi application: JsRender templates on the server, and JsViews or JsRender in the browser:

$ npm run-script hapi              # or $ node index-hapi.js

• Express 4 application with Browserify: JsRender templates on the server, JsViews/JsRender in the browser, and Browserify bundled script (including jsviews.js/jsrender.js and JsRender server templates) compiled for the browser:

$ npm run-script bundle            # or $ node ./browserify/makebundle.js
$ npm run-script express-b         # or $ node index-express-browserify.js

• Express 4 application with Browserify (variant with jQuery also as browserify bundled script): JsRender templates on the server, JsViews/JsRender in the browser, and Browserify bundled script (including jquery.js, jsviews.js/jsrender.js and JsRender server templates) compiled for the browser:

$ npm run-script bundle            # or $ node ./browserify/makebundle.js
$ npm run-script express-b2        # or $ node index-express-browserify2.js

• Hapi application with Browserify: JsRender templates on the server, JsViews/JsRender in the browser, and Browserify bundled script (including jsviews.js/jsrender.js and JsRender server templates) compiled for the browser: (index-helloworld.js)

$ npm run-script bundle            # or $ node ./browserify/makebundle.js
$ npm run-script hapi-b            # or $ node index-hapi-browserify.js 

Using JsRender with Express

In Express you can use JsRender APIs to render the template, then return the html in the HTTP response:

// Load JsRender module
var jsrender = require('jsrender');

// Load template from file, compile template, and render against data
var html = jsrender.renderFile('./templates/myTemplate.html', myData);

app.get('/...', function(req, res) {
  res.send(html);
});

But alternatively you can register JsRender as template engine for Express:

// Load JsRender module
var jsrender = require('jsrender');

// Set JsRender as the template engine for Express - for .html files
app.engine('html', jsrender.__express);
app.set('view engine', 'html');

// Specify folder location for storing JsRender templates for Express
app.set('views', __dirname + '/templates');

Render template ./templates/myTemplate.html -- content: Name: {{:name}}<br/>:

app.get('/...', function(req, res) {
  res.render('myTemplate', {name: "Jim"}); 
  // result: Name: Jim<br/>
});

Code samples: See the index-express.js sample in this project.

Hapi template integration

JsRender also has built-in support as template engine for Hapi:

Set JsRender as the template engine for Hapi:

var jsrender = require('jsrender');

await server.register(require('@hapi/vision'));
...
// Set JsRender as the template engine for Hapi
server.views({
  engines: { html: jsrender },
  relativeTo: __dirname,
  path: 'templates'
});

Use Hapi to render a template:

server.route({
  method: 'GET',
  path: '/',
  handler: function (request, h) {
    return h.view('myTemplate', myData);
  }
});

Code samples: See the index-hapi.js sample in this project.

Browserify integration

JsRender includes a Browserify transform: jsrender/tmplify for converting server-side templates (stored as files on the Node.js file system) to client-side templates included in the bundle.js client-script bundle generated by Browserify.

This allows you to require() file-based templates from the server, in your client-side scripts.

If source.js includes template references such as: var tmpl=require('./some/path/myTemplate.html'), then the Browserify client script bundle will include the referenced templates.

Browser code:

var myTmpl = $.templates("./templates/myTemplate.html"); // Get compiled template
var html = myTmpl(data); // Render

For details see the documentation topic JsRender Browserify support in Node.js

Code samples: See the index-express-browserify.js and index-hapi-browserify.js samples in this project.

Note: This sample app adds server rendering, and round-tripping of data, to an existing browser-only sample on jsviews.com.

Deploying this app to Heroku

This app was deployed to Heroku, at https://jsrender-node-starter.herokuapp.com/, though this is not currently functioning (since Heroku withdrew its Free Product Plans...)

You can deploy your own copy along the lines of the following code:

Make sure you have Node.js and the Heroku Toolbelt installed. You may need to set a remote "heroku" target URL in .git/config

$ git clone git@github.com:BorisMoore/jsrender-node-starter.git
# or clone your own fork
$ cd jsrender-node-starter
$ npm install
$ npm start

$ heroku create
$ git push heroku master
$ heroku open