generator.handlebars

The Generator.Handlebars NPM package provides a template code generation library based on the Handlebars template engine. The library is easily installed via npm and provides a set of tools to generate any text-based asset from a JSON datasource.

Installation

npm install --save generator.handlebars

Test

node generate.js

Usage

---

1. Include the library

const Generator = require('generator.handlebars');

---

2. Load or define a model

// Load a model
const model = require("./sample-templates/sample-model.json");

// Or

// Define a model
const model = {
    Description: "Test Model",
    Items: [
        { 
            Name: "ItemA", 
            Description: "Item - A", 
            Options: [ 
                { Id: "A", Description: "Option A" },
                { Id: "B", Description: "Option B" }
            ] 
        },
        { 
            Name: "ItemB", 
            Description: "Item - B", 
            Options: [ 
                { Id: "C", Description: "Option C" },
                { Id: "D", Description: "Option D" }
            ] 
        }
    ]
};

---

3. Define a template

Create a Handlebars template file: ./sample-templates/sample.hbs

This sample template is generated for each item in model.Items.

You have access to the entire model:
  Model Description: {{model.Description}}

You have access to the current scoped item in the Items array:
  Item Name: {{item.Name}}
    Description: {{item.Description}}
    Options:
      {{#each item.Options}}
        Id: {{Id}}  Description: {{Description}}
      {{/each}}

---

4. Define the template settings

Create a template settings file: ./sample-templates/sample.hbs.settings.json

{
    "Target": "Items",
    "TargetItem": "item",
    "ExportPath": ".\\Generated\\Items\\\\{{item.Name}}.txt",
    "AppendToExisting": false
}

Note: When using backslashes in a path, you must escape the backslashes an additional time if it precedes a Handldebars expression

---

5. Create a Template Loader

Create a Template Loader and pass it the path to the directory containing the templates. The loader will automatically load all template files ending in ".hbs" and their corresponding settings ".hbs.settings.json"

var loader = new Generator.TemplateLoader('./sample-templates');

---

6. Load and generate the templates

1. Call the loader.load() function and pass a callback that recieves an array of loaded templates.
2. Iterate the loaded template array and call template.generate() for each template passing in your model.
3. Call template.write() on a generated template to write the generated template to its defined file.

// Load the templates
loader.load();

// Generate the loaded templates.
loader.generate(model, (loader) => { console.log("Templates Generated."); });

Or

// Load and generate
loader.loadAndGenerate(model, (loader) => { console.log('Templates loaded and generated.'); });

Or

// Load the templates with a callback containing the list of loaded templates
loader.load(function (templates) {
    // Interate the templates and generate each with the supplied model
    for (const template of templates) {
        console.log(`Generating template: ${template.name}`)
        // Generate the template
        template.generate(model);
        // Write the generated template to file
        template.write();
    }
});