Web Template File Tree

This is a utility that reads files from a directory and maintains a cache of file contents keyed off of relative file paths. It also keeps track of modification dates so that content can be reloaded when necessary.

Example

Files

• views/index.html
• views/widget.html
• views/comp/cta.html

Script

var FileTree = require('web-template-file-tree');
var fileTree = new FileTree(__dirname + '/views');
fileTree.load(function(err) {
	if (err) {
		console.error('unable to load templates:', err);
	}
})

Results

• fileTree.cache['index'] is the contents of the file views/index.html
• fileTree.cache['widget'] is the contents of the file views/widget.html
• fileTree.cache['comp/cta'] is the contents of the file views/comp/cta.html

Subsequent calls to fileTree.load() will update fileTree.cache.

Documentation

Constructor

FileTree(directoryPath, options)

• directoryPath {String} the path to the directory containing template files
• options {Object}
  • extension {String} (default 'html') the file extension to look for and exclude from cache keys

Instantiates file tree and initializes cache to empty Object.

Instance Methods

load(callback)

• callback {Function} the callback, taking one error argument

Asynchronously updates cache property with keys corresponding to relative file paths (without extensions) and values to file contents.

Passes error argument to callback if unsuccessful.

For efficiency, it uses last modification timestamp to decide whether to re-read file contents into cache.

save(callback)

• callback {Function} the callback, taking one error argument

Asynchronously writes cache to directory, creating files with relative paths corresponding to keys (without extensions) and file contents corresponding to values.

Passes error argument to callback if unsuccessful.

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