export render function

[sirian]

It would be nice to do smth like this:

atpl = require('atpl');

var engine = new atpl({cahe: false, root: ...});
engine.renderFile(filename, data, callback);

or

atpl = require('atpl');
atpl.renderFile(filename, {cache: false, root: ...}, data, callback);

[soywiz]

Which is the difference between this exported function and the one you suggests?:

function express3RenderFile(filename: string, options: any/*IOptionsExpress*/, callback: (err: Error, output?: string) => void)

[sirian]

i prefer to separate module options and render data
each approach gives this ability - either in object instance or in a separate parameter

[soywiz]

Sorry, I didn't see the parameters from the example.
Yeah I agree with you: having the options mixed with the parameters (render data) is a bad idea. I dislike that too.
Since there are several objects: a TemplateParser instance, a LanguageContext and a RuntimeContext, you can always instantiate those objects directly (some tests do it already). There are several objects in there because the implementation is extensible and you can add new filters, functions, tests and tags (that's the LanguageContext). The LanguageContext can be reused between renders. The TemplateParser is in charge of recompiling the templates into efficient javascript. The RuntimeContext holds information related to the runtime and there is a instance each time you render; it holds the autoescape state and a scope.

I can make a wrapper class as you said with a metod that allows you to extends the language and to render a file and also a static method that performs all-in-one without being able to extend anything.

[sirian]

wrapper is a good idea, but you alse can add methods in wrapper like setTemplateParser() (aka depenpency injection pattern)

[panosru]

I agree of exporting that low level api, would be easier to integrate the templating engine with other nodejs web frameworks (like protos) that don't depend on connect or express :)