Any way to render templates into a variable with Express3.x?

Question

Any way to render templates into a variable with Express3.x?

in express3.x, the api talks about app.render('view', data, callback); it is supposed to do the same thing as res.render, but with a callback with the rendered data, instead of sending it as a response. Is there a way to use app.render in a route file. It's not possible since there is no app variable anywhere but app.js maybe there is some other easy way to just render a template and store it a variable. I need it to send html emails. I'm using hogan.js templates in my app.

Thanks

javascript
node.js
express
template-engine
hogan.js

Answer 1

You can write routes and modules in a way that app gets passed when you require

module.exports = function (app) {
  return {
    'index': function(req, res, next) {
      // app is avail here 
    }
  }
}

and require it accordingly and pass on the app variable in app.js

var app = module.exports = express.createServer();
var validate = require('./routes/validate')(app);

This might not be a standard way, and especially the way the route file is written might be awkward. But it makes app avail. to your routes.

Answer 2

Another way to do this is to call the templating engine directly. For example if you use Hogan.js with consolidate, you can do this:

var hogan = require('consolidate').hogan;

hogan(path_to_template or string, rendering_values, function(err, result) {
  console.log(result);
});

I find this better than using app.render, as it is more direct.