Skip to main content

Panini Template Engine

Short introduction to Panini, a popular template engine.

Panini is a lightweight, flexible, and easy-to-use templating engine for building static websites. It simplifies the process of creating and maintaining HTML templates for static web pages.

Here are some key features and concepts related to Panini templates:

✅ Handlebars Templates​

Panini uses the Handlebars templating language. Handlebars allows you to define dynamic templates with placeholders, called "partials" and "helpers," which are filled in with data during the build process.

✅ Partial Templates​

Partials are reusable code snippets or templates that can be included in other templates. This encourages the creation of modular and DRY (Don't Repeat Yourself) code.

✅ Layouts​

Panini allows you to define layout templates that wrap around the content of individual pages. This is useful for maintaining a consistent look and feel across your website.

✅ Data Files​

You can use data files (typically in JSON or YAML format) to provide dynamic data to your templates. Data files are particularly useful for generating pages from structured content.

✅ Helpers​

Handlebars helpers are custom functions that you can define to extend the capabilities of your templates. Panini provides some built-in helpers, and you can create your own as needed.

✅ Content Folders​

Panini typically expects a specific folder structure for your project. Common folders include a "src" folder for source templates, a "dist" folder for the generated output, and additional folders for data and assets.

✅ Command-Line Interface (CLI)​

Panini often comes with a command-line interface that simplifies tasks like generating the site, starting a development server, and watching for changes in your source files.

✅ Example

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8">
    <title>{{title}}</title>
</head>
<body>
    <header>
        <h1>{{title}}</h1>
    </header>
    
    <main>
        {{> content}}
    </main>
    
    <footer>
        &copy; {{year}} My Website
    </footer>
</body>
</html>

In this example, the template uses placeholders like {{title}} and {{year}}, which can be filled in with data from data files or configuration. The {{> content}} syntax includes a partial template called "content."

✅ In Summary​

Panini simplifies the process of building static websites by automating tasks like compiling templates, generating pages, and handling data. It is often used in combination with other build tools and static site generators to streamline web development workflows.

✅ Resources​