handlebars-wax

The missing Handlebars API. Effortless registration of data, partials, helpers, and decorators using file-system globs, modules, and plain-old JavaScript objects.

Install

$ npm install --save handlebars-wax

Usage

┣━ index.js
┣━ data/
┃  ┣━ site.js
┃  ┗━ locale.json
┣━ decorators/
┃  ┣━ currency.js
┃  ┗━ i18n.js
┣━ helpers/
┃  ┣━ link.js
┃  ┗━ list.js
┗━ partials/
   ┣━ footer.js
   ┗━ header.hbs

var handlebars = require('handlebars');
var handlebarsWax = require('handlebars-wax');

var wax = handlebarsWax(handlebars)

    // Partials
    .partials('./partials/**/*.{hbs,js}')
    .partials({
        boo: '{{#each boo}}{{greet}}{{/each}}',
        far: '{{#each far}}{{length}}{{/each}}'
    })

    // Helpers
    .helpers(require('handlebars-layouts'))
    .helpers('./helpers/**/*.js')
    .helpers({
        foo: function () { ... },
        bar: function () { ... }
    })

    // Decorators
    .decorators('./decorators/**/*.js')
    .decorators({
        baz: function () { ... },
        qux: function () { ... }
    })

    // Data
    .data('./data/**/*.{js,json}')
    .data({
        lorem: 'dolor',
        ipsum: 'sit amet'
    });

console.log(handlebars.partials);
// { footer: fn(), header: fn(), boo: fn(), far: fn() }

console.log(handlebars.helpers);
// { link: fn(), list: fn(), foo: fn(), bar: fn(), extend: fn(), ... }

console.log(handlebars.decorators);
// { currency: fn(), i18n: fn(), baz: fn(), bat: fn() }

console.log(wax.context);
// { site: { ... }, locale: { ... }, lorem: 'dolor', ipsum: 'sit amet' }

var template = wax.compile('{{lorem}} {{ipsum}}');

console.log(template({ ipsum: 'consectetur' }));
// "dolor consectetur"

Registering Partials, Helpers, and Decorators

You may use handlebars-wax to require and register any modules that export a register factory, an object, or a function as partials, helpers, and decorators.

Exporting a Factory

In cases where a direct reference to the instance of Handlebars in use is needed, modules may export a register factory function. For example, the following module will define a new helper called foo-bar:

module.exports.register = function (handlebars) {
    handlebars.registerHelper('foo-bar', function (text, url) {
        var result = '<a href="' + url + '">' + text + '</a>';

        return new handlebars.SafeString(result);
    });
};

Exporting an Object

If a module exports an object, that object is registered with Handlebars directly where the object keys are used as names. For example, the following module exports an object that will cause baz and qux to be registered:

module.exports = {
    baz: function () {
        // do something
    },
    qux: function () {
        // do something
    }
};

Exporting a Function

If a module exports a function, that function is registered based on the globbed portion of a path, ignoring extensions. Handlebars' require.extensions hook may be used to load .handlebars or .hbs files.

module.exports = function () {
    // do something
};

┣━ index.js
┗━ partials/
   ┣━ components
   ┃  ┣━ link.js
   ┃  ┗━ list.js
   ┗━ layouts
      ┣━ one-column.hbs
      ┗━ two-column.hbs

handlebarsWax(handlebars)
    .partials('./partials/**/*.{hbs,js}');
    // registers the partials:
    // - `components/link`
    // - `components/list`
    // - `layouts/one-column`
    // - `layouts/two-column`

handlebarsWax(handlebars)
    .partials('./partials/components/*.js')
    .partials('./partials/layouts/*.hbs');
    // registers the partials:
    // - `link`
    // - `list`
    // - `one-column`
    // - `two-column`

handlebarsWax(handlebars)
    .partials([
        './partials/**/*.{hbs,js}',
        '!./partials/layouts/**'
    ])
    .partials('./partials/layouts/*.hbs');
    // registers the partials:
    // - `components/link`
    // - `components/list`
    // - `one-column`
    // - `two-column`

Helpers and decorators are handled similarly to partials, but path separators and non-word characters are replaced with hyphens to avoid having to use segment-literal notation inside templates.

┣━ index.js
┗━ helpers/
   ┣━ format
   ┃  ┣━ date.js
   ┃  ┗━ number.round.js
   ┗━ list
      ┣━ group-by.js
      ┗━ order-by.js

handlebarsWax(handlebars)
    .helpers('./helpers/**/*.js');
    // registers the helpers:
    // - `format-date`
    // - `format-number-round`
    // - `list-group-by`
    // - `list-order-by`

You may customize how names are generated by using the base option, or by specifying a custom parsePartialName, parseHelperName, or parseDecoratorName function.

handlebarsWax(handlebars)
    .partials('./partials/components/*.js', {
        base: __dirname
    })
    .partials('./partials/layouts/*.hbs', {
        base: path.join(__dirname, 'partials/layouts')
    });
    // registers the partials:
    // - `partials/components/link`
    // - `partials/components/list`
    // - `one-column`
    // - `two-column`

handlebarsWax(handlebars)
    .helpers('./helpers/**/*.{hbs,js}', {
        // Expect these helpers to export their own name.
        parseHelperName: function(options, file) {
            // options.handlebars
            // file.cwd
            // file.base
            // file.path
            // file.exports

            return file.exports.name;
        }
    });
    // registers the helpers:
    // - `date`
    // - `round`
    // - `groupBy`
    // - `orderBy`

Registering Data

When data is registered, the resulting object structure is determined according to the default rules of require-glob.

┣━ index.js
┗━ data/
   ┣━ foo/
   ┃  ┣━ hello.js
   ┃  ┗━ world.json
   ┗━ bar/
      ┣━ bye.js
      ┗━ moon.json

handlebarsWax(handlebars)
    .data('./data/**/*.{js,json}');
    // registers the data:
    // {
    //     foo: {
    //         hello: require('./data/foo/hello.js'),
    //         world: require('./data/foo/world.json')
    //     },
    //     bar: {
    //         hello: require('./data/bar/bye.js'),
    //         world: require('./data/bar/moon.json')
    //     }
    // }

You may customize how data is structured by using the base option, or by specifying a custom parseDataName.

handlebarsWax(handlebars)
    .data('./data/**/*.{js,json}', {
        base: __dirname,
        parseDataName: function(options, file) {
            // options.handlebars
            // file.cwd
            // file.base
            // file.path
            // file.exports

            return file.path
                .replace(file.base, '')
                .split(/[\/\.]/)
                .filter(Boolean)
                .reverse()
                .join('_')
                .toUpperCase();
        }
    });
    // registers the data:
    // {
    //     JS_HELLO_FOO_DATA: require('./data/foo/hello.js'),
    //     JSON_WORLD_FOO_DATA: require('./data/foo/world.json'),
    //     JS_BYE_BAR_DATA: require('./data/bar/bye.js'),
    //     JSON_MOON_BAR_DATA: require('./data/bar/moon.json')
    // }

Context and Rendering

Templates that are compiled by handlebars-wax are passed a merged object of pre-registered (global) data and template (local) data as the context. This means accessing data will generally Just Work™.

var template = wax.compile('{{foo}} {{bar}} {{baz}}');

wax.data({ foo: 'hello', bar: 'world' });

console.log(template({});
// "hello world "

console.log(template({ bar: 'moon', baz: 'pluto' });
// "hello moon pluto"

In cases where local variable names conflict with global variables, each context may be accessed directly using the special @global and @local variables.

var template = wax.compile('{{@global.foo}} {{@local.foo}} {{foo}}');

wax.data({ foo: 'jupiter' });

console.log(template({ foo: 'mars' });
// "jupiter mars mars"

API

handlebarsWax(handlebars [, options]): HandlebarsWax

• handlebars {Handlebars} An instance of Handlebars to wax.
• options {Object} (optional) Passed directly to require-glob so check there for more options.
  • bustCache {Boolean} (default: true) Force reload data, partials, helpers, and decorators.
  • cwd {String} (default: process.cwd()) Current working directory.
  • compileOptions {Object} Default options to use when compiling templates.
  • extensions {Array} (default: ['.handlebars', '.hbs', '.html']) Extensions to compile via require().
  • templateOptions {Object} Default options to use when rendering templates.
  • parsePartialName {Function(options, file): String} See section on registering a function.
  • parseHelperName {Function(options, file): String} See section on registering a function.
  • parseDecoratorName {Function(options, file): String} See section on registering a function.
  • parseDataName {Function(options, file): String} See section on registering data.

Provides a waxed API to augment an instance of Handlebars.

.handlebars

The instance of Handlebars in use.

.context

An object containing all registered data.

.partials(pattern [, options]): HandlebarsWax

• pattern {String|Array.<String>|Object|Function(handlebars)} One or more minimatch glob patterns patterns, an object of partials, or a partial factory.
• options {Object} Passed directly to require-glob so check there for more options.
  • parsePartialName {Function(options, file): String} See section on registering a function.

Requires and registers partials en-masse from the file-system or an object. May be called more than once. If names collide, newest wins.

.helpers(pattern [, options]): HandlebarsWax

• pattern {String|Array.<String>|Object|Function(handlebars)} One or more minimatch glob patterns patterns, an object of helpers, or a helper factory.
• options {Object} Passed directly to require-glob so check there for more options.
  • parseHelperName {Function(options, file): String} See section on registering a function.

Requires and registers helpers en-masse from the file-system or an object. May be called more than once. If names collide, newest wins.

.decorators(pattern [, options]): HandlebarsWax

• pattern {String|Array.<String>|Object|Function(handlebars)} One or more minimatch glob patterns patterns, an object of decorators, or a decorator factory.
• options {Object} Passed directly to require-glob so check there for more options.
  • parseDecoratorName {Function(options, file): String} See section on registering a function.

Requires and registers decorators en-masse from the file-system or an object. May be called more than once. If names collide, newest wins.

.data(pattern [, options]): HandlebarsWax

• pattern {String|Array.<String>|Object} One or more minimatch glob patterns patterns, or a data object.
• options {Object} Passed directly to require-glob so check there for more options.
  • parseDataName {Function(options, file): String} See section on registering data.

Requires and registers data en-masse from the file-system or an object into the current context. May be called more than once. Results are shallow-merged into a single object. If keys collide, newest wins. See Context and Rendering.

.compile(template [, options]): Function(Object)

• template {String|Function(Object)}
• options {Object} See the Handlebars.compile documentation.

Compiles a template that can be executed immediately to produce a final result. Data provided to the template function will be a child frame of the current context. See Context and Rendering.

.engine(file, data, callback): HandlebarsWax

• file {String} File path to dynamic view.
• data {Object} Data to pass to the template.
• callback {Function(err, string)}

Express.js-compatible template engine for rendering dynamic views.

var express = require('express');
var handlebars = require('handlebars');
var handlebarsWax = require('handlebars-wax');

var wax = handlebarsWax(handlebars)
    .partials('./partials/**/*.{hbs,js}')
    .helpers('./helpers/**/*.js')
    .data('./data/**/*.{js,json}');

var app = express()
    .engine('hbs', wax.engine)
    .set('view engine', 'hbs')
    .set('views', './views');

// Route
app.get('/:foo/:bar', function (req, res) {
    res.render('index', req.params);
});

// Listen
app.listen(3000);

Contribute

Standards for this project, including tests, code coverage, and semantics are enforced with a build tool. Pull requests must include passing tests with 100% code coverage and no linting errors.

Test

$ npm test

© Shannon Moeller [email protected] (shannonmoeller.com)

Licensed under MIT