conditional on last item in array using handlebars.js template

Question

I am leveraging handlebars.js for my templating engine and am looking to make a conditional segment display only if it is the last item in array contained in the templates configuration object.

{
  columns: [{<obj>},{<obj>},{<obj>},{<obj>},{<obj>}]
}

I've already pulled in a helper to do some equality/greater/less-than comparisons and have had success identifying the initial item this way but have had no luck accessing my target array's length.

Handlebars.registerHelper('compare', function(lvalue, rvalue, options) {...})

"{{#each_with_index columns}}"+
"<div class='{{#equal index 0}} first{{/equal}}{{#equal index ../columns.length()}} last{{/equal}}'>"+
"</div>"+
"{{/each_with_index}}"

Does anyone know a shortcut, different approach, and some handlebars goodness that will keep me from having to tear into the handlebars.js engine to determine best course?

Answer 1

As of Handlebars v1.1.0, you can now use the @first and @last booleans in the each helper for this problem:

{{#each foo}}
    <div class='{{#if @first}}first{{/if}}
                {{#if @last}} last{{/if}}'>
      {{@key}} - {{@index}}
    </div>
{{/each}}

---

A quick helper I wrote to do the trick is:

Handlebars.registerHelper("foreach",function(arr,options) {
    if(options.inverse && !arr.length)
        return options.inverse(this);

    return arr.map(function(item,index) {
        item.$index = index;
        item.$first = index === 0;
        item.$last  = index === arr.length-1;
        return options.fn(item);
    }).join('');
});

Then you can write:

{{#foreach foo}}
    <div class='{{#if $first}} first{{/if}}{{#if $last}} last{{/if}}'></div>
{{/foreach}}

Answer 2

Since Handlebars 1.1.0, first and last has become native to the each helper. See ticket #483.

The usage is like Eberanov's helper class:

{{#each foo}}
    <div class='{{#if @first}}first{{/if}}{{#if @last}} last{{/if}}'>{{@key}} - {{@index}}</div>
{{/each}}

Answer 3

If you just try to handle the first item of the array, this may help

{{#each data-source}}{{#if @index}},{{/if}}"{{this}}"{{/each}}

@index is provided by the each helper and for the first item, it would be equal to zero and thus can be handled by the if helper.

Answer 4

Solution:

<div class='{{#compare index 1}} first{{/compare}}{{#compare index total}} last{{/compare}}'></div>

Leveraging helpers from the following blog and gist...

https://gist.github.com/2889952

http://doginthehat.com.au/2012/02/comparison-block-helper-for-handlebars-templates/

// {{#each_with_index records}}
//  <li class="legend_item{{index}}"><span></span>{{Name}}</li>
// {{/each_with_index}}

Handlebars.registerHelper("each_with_index", function(array, fn) {
  var total = array.length;
  var buffer = "";

  //Better performance: http://jsperf.com/for-vs-foreach/2
  for (var i = 0, j = total; i < j; i++) {
    var item = array[i];

    // stick an index property onto the item, starting with 1, may make configurable later
    item.index = i+1;
    item.total = total;
    // show the inside of the block
    buffer += fn(item);
  }

  // return the finished buffer
  return buffer;

});

Handlebars.registerHelper('compare', function(lvalue, rvalue, options) {

    if (arguments.length < 3)
        throw new Error("Handlerbars Helper 'compare' needs 2 parameters");

    operator = options.hash.operator || "==";

    var operators = {
        '==':       function(l,r) { return l == r; },
        '===':      function(l,r) { return l === r; },
        '!=':       function(l,r) { return l != r; },
        '<':        function(l,r) { return l < r; },
        '>':        function(l,r) { return l > r; },
        '<=':       function(l,r) { return l <= r; },
        '>=':       function(l,r) { return l >= r; },
        'typeof':   function(l,r) { return typeof l == r; }
    }

    if (!operators[operator])
        throw new Error("Handlerbars Helper 'compare' doesn't know the operator "+operator);

    var result = operators[operator](lvalue,rvalue);

    if( result ) {
        return options.fn(this);
    } else {
        return options.inverse(this);
    }

});

Notice the starting index is correctly 1.

Answer 5

I made a little improvements in helper from Matt Brennan, you can use this helper with Objects or Arrays, this solution required Underscore library:

Handlebars.registerHelper("foreach", function(context, options) {
  options = _.clone(options);
  options.data = _.extend({}, options.hash, options.data);

  if (options.inverse && !_.size(context)) {
    return options.inverse(this);
  }

  return _.map(context, function(item, index, list) {
    var intIndex = _.indexOf(_.values(list), item);

    options.data.key = index;
    options.data.index = intIndex;
    options.data.isFirst = intIndex === 0;
    options.data.isLast = intIndex === _.size(list) - 1;

    return options.fn(item, options);
  }).join('');
});

Usage:

{{#foreach foo}}
    <div class='{{#if @first}}first{{/if}}{{#if @last}} last{{/if}}'>{{@key}} - {{@index}}</div>
{{/foreach}}

Answer 6

Just FYI: If you are stuck with Handlebars < 1.1.0 (like me) you might wann try this workaround:

Define a property like isLast on the objects you are iterating and use it like

{{#each objectsInList}}"{{property}}": "{{value}}"{{#unless isLast}},{{/unless}}{{/each}}

to build a JSON object.