Precompiling Handlebars.js templates in Windows

Question

Looking at the Handlebars.js documentation for precompilation.

The instructions are for OSX. Can this be done on Windows as well?

If so, when they say to "install node and npm" does "node" refer to "node.js"?

Answer 1

1. Install Node.js for Windows from here: http://nodejs.org/download/.

2. Run in the command prompt:

   npm install handlebars -g
   

Now you can use the following syntax in the command prompt:

handlebars <input> -f <output>

,where <input> is an original template file name, and <output> is a pre-compliled template file name.

Example:

handlebars person.hbr -f person.js

Answer 2

In visual studio you have 2 options:

1) using a bundle transform from System.Web.Optimization

2) using a postbuild event in visual studio (requires nodejs)

see Gist

Answer 3

It seems like ASP.NET Web Tools 2012.2 has built in handlebars support (from Scott Hanselman's blog):

Syntax Highlighting for client side templating languages within the HTML editor like:

• CoffeeScript
• Mustache
• Handlebars
• JsRender