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.
Example
Explanation | Result |
---|---|
The data is collected within, for example, an external JSON file "presidents.json" such as : "presidents" : [
{ "name": "Washington", "firstname": "George", "born": "1732", "death": "1799" },
{ "name": "Lincoln", "firstname": "Abraham", "born": "1809", "death": "1865" },
...
]
The HTML code provides an "anchor" : <body>
Our favorite presidents are:
<ul id="anchor"></ul>
</body>
The JavaScript is in several important parts. <script src="js/mustache.min.js"></script> // ➊
<script src="js/jquery.min.js"></script>
<script id="president-template" type="text/template"> // ➋
{{#presidents}}
<li>{{name}} ({{born}}-{{death}})</li>
{{/presidents}}
</script>
<script> // ➌
$(function() {
$.getJSON('http://.../presidents.json', function(data) {
var template = $('#president-template').html();
var info = Mustache.to_html(template, data);
$('#anchor').html(info);
});
});
</script>
|
Our favorite presidents are:
|
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.
See also
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
- 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/