TBLK

TBLK is a JavaScript (TypeScript) template engine which uses JavaScript expressions syntax, it is mainly developed to be used in code generators.

Features:

• Pre-compiles templates to both JavaScript and TypeScript.
• Dynamic templates using the API.
• Supports JavaScript expressions.
• Multi-file templates (Supports partials.)
• Tries to preserve white spaces and line indention.
• It compiles to native JavaScript code so it's FAST!
• Generates source maps.

Install

If you want to use the API install it as a dependency:

yarn add tblk

otherwise install tblk as a development dependency:

yarn add -D tblk

Command Line Usage

# Using a configuration file:
npx tblk -config config.tblk.json
# Manual usage:
npx tblk file1.tblk file2.tblk -ts -no-source-map -o dist

Sample config file:

{
  "outDir": "./dist",
  "compilerOptions": {
    "sourceMap": false,
    "typescript": true
  },
  "include": [
    "templates/**/*.tblk"
  ]
}

Partials

Files that are prefixed by an underscore are treated as partials, take look at the example directory to learn more.

API

import * as tblk from 'tblk';
const template = tblk.compile(`<% a %> + <% b %> = <% a + b %>`);
console.log(template({a: 2, b: 3})); // 2 + 3 = 5

Syntax

All the commands are supposed to be inside <% ... %>, otherwise they are treated as normal text.

There are only a few commands:

• Print
• Condition
• Loop
• Partial Definition
• Partial

Print

<% expression %>
2 + 2 = <% 2 + 2 %>

Condition Command

<% if expression %>
Consequence 1
<% else if expression %>
Consequence 2
<% else %>
Alternate
<% /if %>

Loop

<% for identifier in expression %>
<% /for %>

Loops also support in-place filtering of the data using the |> operator:

<% for identifier in expression |> x >= 5 %>
<% /for %>

Partial

2 + 3 = <% #sum a=2 b=3 %>
<% function sum %>
<% a + b %>
<% /function %>

Why?

When I tried other template engines there were problems with indention, take a look at the following example:

  <% "A\nB\nC" %>

Where most template engines will print something like:

  A
B
C

TBLK tries to preserve the line indention by printing:

  A
  B
  C

Another problem appears when you try to split your template into separate modules, with TBLK you just have to prefix your filename with an _ and you can use it in other parts just by writing <% #filename x=2 y=3 ... %>.

Contributions

Please do!