JavaScript templating
JavaScript templating refers to the client side data binding method implemented with the JavaScript language. This approach became popular thanks to JavaScript's increased use, its increase in client processing capabilities, and the trend to outsource computations to the client's web browser. Popular JavaScript templating libraries are AngularJS, Backbone.js, Ember.js, Handlebars.js, Vue.js and Mustache.js. A frequent practice is to use double curly brackets (i.e. {{key}}) to call values of the given key from data files, often JSON objects.
Examples
All examples use an external file presidents.json
with following contents
{
"presidents" : [
{ "name": "Washington", "firstname": "George", "born": "1732", "death": "1799" },
{ "name": "Lincoln", "firstname": "Abraham", "born": "1809", "death": "1865" }
]
}
All examples will produce the following HTML list:
- Washington (1732-1799)
- Lincoln (1809-1865)
Library | HTML Code | Explanation |
---|---|---|
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href=".../template.css"/>
<script src=".../jquery.min.js"></script>
<script src=".../jquery.template.min.js"></script> ➊
Our favorite presidents are:
<ul id="target">
<li template="[presidents]" z-var="name ., born ., death .">
${name} (${born}-${death})
</li>
</ul> ➋
<script>
$.getJSON('.../presidents.json', function(data) {
$('#target').template(data);
});
</script> ➌
|
➊ Load the necessary resources, including required jQuery | |
<script src=".../jquery.min.js"></script>
<script src=".../mustache.min.js"></script> ➊
Our favorite presidents are:
<ul id="target"></ul> ➋
<script id="president-template" type="text/template">
{{#presidents}}
<li>{{name}} ({{born}}-{{death}})</li>
{{/presidents}}
</script> ➌
<script>
$.getJSON('.../presidents.json', function(data) {
var template = $('#president-template').html();
var info = Mustache.to_html(template, data);
$('#target').html(info);
});
</script> ➍
|
➊ Load the necessary libraries, here mustache.js and jQuery |
Templating becomes useful when the information distributed may change, is too large to be maintained in various HTML pages by available human resources and not large enough to require heavier server-side templating.
References
- JavaScript templates, Mozilla Developer Network, 2013
- Basavaraj, veena (2012), The client-side templating throwdown: mustache, handlebars, dust.js, and more, Linkedin.com
- Villalobos, Ray (2012), Introduction to JavaScript Templating (video tutorial) with Mustache.js, ViewSource.com, archived from the original on 2013-05-13
- Burgess, Andrew (2012), Best Practices When Working With JavaScript Templates, Net.tutsplus.com
- Landau, Brian (2009), Benchmarking Javascript Templating Libraries
- http://www.jquery4u.com/javascript/10-javascript-jquery-templates-engines/
- Comparison with Other Frameworks, Vue.js, retrieved 11 December 2018