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Handlebars.js (hbs) is a popular template engine for Node.js, often used in combination with Express.js for building dynamic web applications. This page explains how to use hbs in your Express.js projects and provides an example.

Description

The latest version of hbs is 4.2.0, and it was last published 2 years ago. You can install hbs using npm by running npm i hbs. There are currently 471 other projects in the npm registry using hbs.

Why Use hbs?

hbs is used as the view engine in Express.js applications to render .hbs files when using res.render. It offers several advantages, such as:

  1. Helpers and Partials: hbs provides the registerHelper and registerPartial methods from handlebars.js, allowing you to create custom helpers and reusable template parts.
  2. Locals as Template Data: hbs can expose application and request locals within any context inside a view, making it easier to access data.
  3. Isolated Instances: hbs allows you to create multiple isolated instances of the engine, which can be useful in certain scenarios.

Installation and Setup

To use hbs as the default view engine in your Express.js application, follow these steps:

  1. Install hbs using npm:
$ npm install hbs
  1. Set up hbs as the view engine in your Express.js application:
const express = require('express');
const hbs = require('hbs');

const app = express();

// Set up hbs as the view engine
app.set('view engine', 'hbs');

// Register helpers and partials (optional)
hbs.registerHelper('helper_name', function (options) { return 'helper value'; });
hbs.registerPartial('partial_name', 'partial value');

// Expose locals as template data (optional)
hbs.localsAsTemplateData(app);

// Start the server
app.listen(3000, () => console.log('Server started on port 3000'));

Helpers and Partials

hbs allows you to register helpers and partials using the registerHelper, registerPartial, and registerPartials methods. For more information on these methods, refer to the handlebars.js documentation.

Exposing Locals as Template Data

hbs can expose the application and request locals within any context inside a view. To enable this functionality, call the localsAsTemplateData method and pass in your Express application instance.

Conclusion

hbs is a powerful and flexible template engine for Express.js applications. It offers features like helpers, partials, and the ability to expose locals as template data, making it an excellent choice for building dynamic web applications.

For more information on hbs and its features, refer to the official documentation.