Handlebars.js Templating Basics

Handlebars.js Templating Basics

Handlebars.js is a templating engine that allows embedding expressions in HTML-like templates, compiling them into functions for rendering with data. This demo compiles a simple template, passes a context object, and inserts the rendered HTML into the page. Handlebars excels at generating static content from data, with features like helpers and partials for complex logic. While I’ve primarily used Vue.js for reactive components, Handlebars could be preferable for server-side rendering or static sites where reactivity isn’t needed, offering a lightweight alternative for templating without a full framework.

What is Handlebars?

Handlebars is a logic-less templating language that separates presentation from logic. Templates use double curly braces {{}} for expressions, compiled into JavaScript functions that take data and produce HTML.

In this demo, a template is defined in a <script> tag, compiled, and rendered with context data.

Basic Usage Example

From the code:

Template:

<script id="entry-template" type="text/x-handlebars-template">
  <div class="entry">
    <h1>{{title}}</h1>
    <div class="body">
      {{{body}}}
    </div>
  </div>
</script>

JavaScript:

var source = document.getElementById("entry-template").innerHTML;
var template = Handlebars.compile(source);
var context = { title: "My New Post", body: "<p>This is a post about &lt;p&gt; tags</p>" };
var html = template(context);
document.getElementById("entry-template").insertAdjacentHTML("afterend", html);

This renders: <div class="entry"><h1>My New Post</h1><div class="body"><p>This is a post about &lt;p&gt; tags</p></div></div>

Note: {{{body}}} unescapes HTML, while {{body}} escapes it.

More Examples

Loops:

<ul>
  {{#each items}}
    <li>{{this}}</li>
  {{/each}}
</ul>

With data: { items: ["Apple", "Banana"] }

Conditionals:

{{#if isVisible}}
  <p>Visible</p>
{{else}}
  <p>Hidden</p>
{{/if}}

Helpers for custom logic:

Handlebars.registerHelper('uppercase', function(str) {
  return str.toUpperCase();
});

Template: {{uppercase title}}

Handlebars vs. Vue.js

Handlebars is great for:

  • Static content generation (e.g., emails, server-side rendering).
  • Simple data binding without reactivity.
  • Lightweight, no virtual DOM or components.

Vue.js suits:

  • Interactive, reactive UIs with data binding and lifecycle hooks.
  • Component-based architecture for complex apps.
  • Two-way binding and directives like v-if, v-for.

If you need reactivity or components, stick with Vue. For templating static pages or server-side HTML, Handlebars is simpler and faster. In this demo, Handlebars handles basic rendering without Vue’s overhead, but for dynamic updates, Vue would be better. Consider Handlebars for utility scripts or when avoiding full frameworks.

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