Utilizing app.set and app.engine functions in the Express framework

Question

Utilizing app.set and app.engine functions in the Express framework

I am currently learning from a Node.js tutorial.

There are two lines in the tutorial that I'm not entirely confident about:

app.set('view engine', 'html');
app.engine('html', hbs.__express);

After looking at the documentation for app.set, it simply states:

Assigns setting name to value.

My main question is why it is necessary to use this. Upon searching online, every instance of app.engine seems to have app.set executed beforehand.

If anyone can explain the importance of using app.set before app.engine, please do so.

UPDATE

I came across the following line, but I'm still unclear as this is my first time working with a template engine:

We can instruct Express to treat HTML files as dynamic by utilizing the view engine directive mentioned above.

node.js express handlebars.js template-engine

Answer 1

Answer №1

When working with Express, the app.set function is used to specify the template engine to be used. In this case, the engine being set is html. It is important to have a template engine installed with that name and responsible for files with the .html extension.

If you are using ejs, a single line like the one below is sufficient:

app.set('views', path.join(__dirname, 'views'));
app.set('view engine', 'ejs');

However, if you wish to use a template engine for a different file extension, such as wanting the ejs engine to handle both .ejs and .html files, you can use the following line of code. This line specifies that the hbs.__express function should render files with the html extension since there is no specific template engine named html.

The __express function is basically a standard for template engines in Node.js to be compatible with Express. This naming convention allows Express to easily find the rendering function (although it can be configured differently if needed).

I hope this explanation clarifies things for you.

Answer 2

When working with Express, the app.set function is used to specify the template engine to be used. In this case, the engine being set is html. It is important to have a template engine installed with that name and responsible for files with the .html extension.

If you are using ejs, a single line like the one below is sufficient:

app.set('views', path.join(__dirname, 'views'));
app.set('view engine', 'ejs');

However, if you wish to use a template engine for a different file extension, such as wanting the ejs engine to handle both .ejs and .html files, you can use the following line of code. This line specifies that the hbs.__express function should render files with the html extension since there is no specific template engine named html.

The __express function is basically a standard for template engines in Node.js to be compatible with Express. This naming convention allows Express to easily find the rendering function (although it can be configured differently if needed).

I hope this explanation clarifies things for you.

Utilizing app.set and app.engine functions in the Express framework

Answer №1

Similar questions

Ways to fix the error message ".then is not a function" when using node-7zip

Concatenating Arrays in nodeJS

How can you efficiently manage Access & Refresh tokens from various Providers?

Tips for transferring client-side data to the server-side in Angular, Node.js, and Express

GlobalThis in Cordova throws an undefined error following the update to version 10.0.0

The function soap.createClientAsync is not defined and is throwing a TypeError

Seeking assistance for my dissertation assignment: electron, express, and SQLite3

Encountering an issue with launching npm serve on MacOS while using IntelliJ Ultimate for a Vue.js project

obtain the text content from HTML response in Node.js

Displaying Images Containing Umlauts Might Cause Issues

Developing Attributes in JSON

Updating a question in Node.js Express: How to specify the WHERE clause?

Preserve object properties while allowing for changes to be made without affecting

Having trouble getting my asynchronous promise to work properly

Having trouble invoking an established route within a different route in an Express JS project

Do you have any suggestions on how to fix this npm SQLite installation issue?

Error: The Redis connection was lost and the command was aborted due to a failed readiness check. It is possible that the command may

Has the utilization of stipe medium aircraft resulted in any financial setbacks for me?

Middleware in action on all routers following its inclusion

Executing a NestJs cron job at precise intervals three times each day: a guide