Syntax Overview

Definitions

We're going to call something between the set delimiters a tag. Ex: {{...}}, where {{ and }} are called "delimiters"

Language Items

There are 5 language items in Squirrelly:

• Interpolation tags place the value of the code inside them into the rendered template.
  Example: Rendering Hi {{it.name}} with {name: "Ben"} will return "Hi Ben".
  The data you call a template with is referenced using it, similarly to doT.js.
• Evaluation tags start with ! and place the code inside them into the template function.
  Examples: Comments are written using evaluation tags ({{! /*comment */}}), as are JS function calls ({{! console.log('hi') }}).
  It's usually discouraged to use evaluation tags for complex functions and logic, which helpers are ideal for.
• Helpers start with @ and are for logic in the template. Loops and conditionals are both implemented as native helpers, a special kind of helper that compiles into native JS code before rendering.
  Helpers use blocks (that start with #) for logical separation.
  Examples:
  • If/Else:
    {{ @if (it.number === 3) }}

    Number is three

    {{ #elif (it.number === 4) }}

    Number is four

    {{ #else }}

    Number is five

    {{ /if}}`
• Filters are for post-processing values such as references and helpers. You can define your own that do anything from capitalizing letters to emojifying strings.
  Example: {{someref | capitalize}}

Inspiration

Squirrelly takes inspiration from Mustache, Handlebars, EJS, Nunjucks, Swig, doT.js, and many other great template engines.