CODEWITHSUNDEEP
node.jsexpresshandlebars.js
Manuel Rivera
Manuel Rivera

Reputation: 523

node express how to render handlebars html page to file

I want to convert some html page to pdf via wkhtmltopdf. However, the html page I want to convert to pdf is dynamically generated using handlebars.

So I think one solution maybe to generate the html page via handlebars but to a file (html file). Then, convert that file to pdf using hkhtmltopdf, then allow the user to, somehow, download the pdf.

So, my question is: how can I render the (handlebars) dynamically generated html page to a file?

Thanks and bye ...

Upvotes: 14

Views: 15365

Answers (3)

Hertzel Guinness
Hertzel Guinness

Reputation: 5950

Using express-handlebars, you should use the advanced mode and create an instance of it like in this example.

The proper way would be to create a view file (like you probably already have per you question) and use the express handlebars instance to render it:

// init code
var exphbs = require('express-handlebars');
var hbs = exphbs.create({
    defaultLayout: 'your-layout-name',
    helpers: require("path-to-your-helpers-if-any"),
});
app.engine('.file-extention-you-use', hbs.engine);
app.set('view engine', '.file-extention-you-use');

// ...then, in the router
hbs.render('full-path-to-view',conext, options).then(function(hbsTemplate){
     // hbsTemplate contains the rendered html, do something with it...
});

HTH

Upvotes: 4

Manuel Rivera
Manuel Rivera

Reputation: 523

Code above from Alex works perfect. However, my confusion was: I was using 'express-handlebars' and not 'handlebars'. Now, what I can understand is Express-Handlebars is an implementation of Handlebars for an Express application, which I´m using. I just didn't find a way to use the 'compile()' method in Express-Handlebars, so I ended up installing Handlebars (standalone) and used it to compile my (html) template and save the result to disk, just as Alex explained above.

In summary: 1) I know Express-Handlebars is Handlebars for Express app. 2) I don't know how to use "compile()" method just from express-handlebars, so I ended up installing Handlebars (from npm) and using it on the server to produce my html file (from template) and save it to disk. 3) Of course I installed and use Express-Handlebars everywhere to serve my pages in my Express app; just installed Handlebars to produce my html (in the server) with "compile()" method and save the result to disk.

Hope this is understandable. Thanks again and bye ...

Upvotes: 0

Alex Khlebaev
Alex Khlebaev

Reputation: 482

Simple example for create file.

var Handlebars = require('handlebars');

var source = "<p>Hello, my name is {{name}}. I am from {{hometown}}. I have " +
    "{{kids.length}} kids:</p>" +
    "<ul>{{#kids}}<li>{{name}} is {{age}}</li>{{/kids}}</ul>";
var template = Handlebars.compile(source);

var data = { "name": "Alan", "hometown": "Somewhere, TX",
    "kids": [{"name": "Jimmy", "age": "12"}, {"name": "Sally", "age": "4"}]};
var result = template(data);


var fs = require('fs');
    fs.writeFile("test.html", result, function(err) {
    if(err) {
        return console.log(err);
    }
});

Upvotes: 16

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