Node.js & Express: template engine for plain html code

Question

Using Node.js and express in a MEAN environment, I am looking for a simple and straightforward template engine, meeting these requirements:

• does not dictate me to only use its own weird syntax but allows me to keep writing webpages using pure/plain html and js
• supports conditional includes
• works with express
• operates on server-side (Node.js/Express)
• executes freakin' fast ;)

Basically I just want to slice my webpage into several modules (e. g. header, footer, ...) and include those now and then based on simple conditions. I don't want to entirely (re-)rebuild all webpages using a proprietary template language but rather prepare a few html modules that I concatenate at runtime (comparable to PHP where I just use the include instruction to paste prepared html code). I had a look at http://garann.github.io/template-chooser/ and https://github.com/nodejs/node-v0.x-archive/wiki/modules#templating but the sites seem outdated and according to them, there ain't no template engine available fully meeting my requirements!? Suggestions anyone?

Answer 1

I think ejs is more natural for what you are looking for https://scotch.io/tutorials/use-ejs-to-template-your-node-application, but jade can work also. The example in the link uses partials, which you dont need to use if ur just rendering a single page