/MuTeX

A Node.js Mustache template engine (and compiler) optimized for LaTeX

Primary LanguageJavaScriptMIT LicenseMIT

MuTeX - a fast, streaming Node.js Mustache engine optimized for TeX

Differences from Mustache API

  • Delimiter defaults changed from {{ }} to <! !> to avoid awkwardness
  • Normal Mu tags <! !> escape text for LaTeX compatibility rather than HTML
  • Triple Mu tags ({{{ }}}) replaced with <!& !> and unescape text rather than escape to HTML
  • An \input{nameoftemplate} acts the same way that a partial ({{> nameoftemplate }}) does
  • The # (if / iterate) command replaced with * to avoid problems
  • The ^ (not) command replaced with ~ to avoid problems

Why don't you just use <% %> for the delimiters?

Because I want to do something like this:

\renewcommand{\title}{<% title %>}
\renewcommand{\today}{<% today %>}
\renewcommand{\currentpart}{Revision <% revision %>}

Which (if you look at the gray regions) causes a loss of some of the important } signs that we need if we want to compile the documents in some normal way. It's easier to just avoid the nasty syntax and use something like this:

\renewcommand{\title}{<! title !>}
\renewcommand{\today}{<! today !>}
\renewcommand{\currentpart}{Revision <! revision !>}

Renders just fine no matter whether you're using TeXstudio or emacs to write your TeX, or Node to publish.

Usage

There are a few ways to use mu 0.5. Here is the simplest:

var mu = require('mutex'); // notice the "2" which matches the npm repo, sorry..

mu.root = __dirname + '/templates'
mu.compileAndRender('index.html', {name: "john"})
  .on('data', function (data) {
    console.log(data.toString());
  });

Here is an example mixing it with the http module:

var http = require('http')
  , util = require('util')
  , mu   = require('mu2');

mu.root = __dirname + '/templates';

  http.createServer(function (req, res) {

  var stream = mu.compileAndRender('index.html', {name: "john"});
  util.pump(stream, res);

}).listen(8000);

Taking that last example here is a little trick to always compile the templates in development mode (so the changes are immediately reflected).

var http = require('http')
  , util = require('util')
  , mu   = require('mutex');

mu.root = __dirname + '/templates';

http.createServer(function (req, res) {

  if (process.env.NODE_ENV == 'DEVELOPMENT') {
    mu.clearCache();
  }

  var stream = mu.compileAndRender('index.html', {name: "john"});
  util.pump(stream, res);

}).listen(8000);

API

mu.root

  A path to lookup templates from. Defaults to the working directory.


mu.compileAndRender(String templateName, Object view)

  Returns: Stream

  The first time this function is called with a specific template name, the
  template will be compiled and then rendered to the stream. Subsequent
  calls with the same template name will use a cached version of the compiled
  template to improve performance (a lot).


mu.compile(filename, callback)

  Returns nil
  Callback (Error err, Any CompiledTemplate)

  This function is used to compile a template. Usually you will not use it
  directly but when doing wierd things, this might work for you. Does not
  use the internal cache when called multiple times, though it does add the
  compiled form to the cache.


mu.compileText(String name, String template, Function callback)

  Returns nil
  Callback (err, CompiledTemplate)

  Similar to mu.compile except it taks in a name and the actual string of the
  template. Does not do disk io. Does not auto-compile partials either.


mu.render(Mixed filenameOrCompiledTemplate, Object view)

  Returns Stream

  The brother of mu.compile. This function takes either a name of a template
  previously compiled (in the cache) or the result of the mu.compile step.

  This function is responsible for transforming the compiled template into the
  proper output give the input view data.


mu.renderText(String template, Object view, Object partials)

  Returns Stream

  Like render, except takes a template as a string and an object for the partials.
  This is not a very performant way to use mu, so only use this for dev/testing.


mu.clearCache(String templateNameOrNull)

  Clears the cache for a specific template. If the name is omitted, clears all cache.