express handlebars template wont render partial - node.js

Question

this problem has got me almost depressed..
not so long ago this whole app worked but recently (probably more than 3 months, perhaps 6) one of my routes refuses to render any handlebars template I pass it, including ones that are rendering successfully via other routes.
this is the offending route:
app.get('/ListContentItems', function (req, res, next) {
try{
getAuthToken().then(authToken =>{
axios({
method:"get",
// url: "https://"+cmsEnvironment+"/content-repositories/"+respositoryId+"/content-items?page="+req.params.page+"&size="+req.params.size,
url: "https://"+cmsEnvironment+"/content-repositories/"+respositoryId+"/content-items?page=0&size=2",
headers:{
"Authorization": "Bearer " + authToken
}
})
.then(response => {
var contentGraph = response.data;
var stringContent = JSON.stringify(response.data,null,'\t');
console.log(stringContent);
res.render("list-content-items",{
static_path:'/static',
theme:process.env.THEME || 'flatly',
pageTitle : "List Content Items",
pageDescription : "List Content Items",
reqParams : req.query,
contentGraph : contentGraph._embedded,
stringContent : stringContent
})
// res.render('list-content-items',{static_path:'/static','pageTitle':'List Content Items - Success','contentGraph': contentGraph._embedded, 'stringContent' : stringContent, 'reqParams': req.query});
})
.catch(error => {
console.log(error);
res.render('list-content-items',{'pageTitle':'List Content Items - Fail','reqParams': req.query, 'error':error});
});
})
.catch(error => {
console.log(error);
next(error);
})
}
catch (e) {
next(e)
}
/* res.render('list-content-items',{title:"List Content Items",error:"figure out how to authorize so that i can list the content items and create links.."}) */
})
this is the template:
{{> header }}
{{#each contentGraph }}
{{#each this}}
{{log this}}
{{this.id}}
{{#each this}}
{{#if (eq this._meta.schema 'http://www.coops.net/draping-config')}}
{{this.label}}<br />
{{else if (eq this._meta.schema 'http://c1-qa.adis.ws/c/cmslabs/content-stack')}}
{{this.label}}<br />
{{else}}
{{this.label}}<br />
{{/if}}
{{/each}}
{{/each}}
</div>
{{/each}}
{{> footer }}
this is the log output:
{ id: '3fae61b6-56ef-4c31-9c53-40f45131b435',
contentRepositoryId: '5c5c64adc9e77c0001d73a22',
folderId: null,
body:
{ _meta:
{ name: 'Image Block 2',
schema: 'http://c1-qa.adis.ws/c/cmslabs/image-block' },
image:
{ _meta: [Object],
id: 'b7a1bced-e921-42ab-baef-b5aa43cd3701',
name: 'Fashion_Womens_Collection_SSS',
endpoint: 'bccdemo',
defaultHost: 'i1.adis.ws' },
editorial:
{ callToAction: [Object],
useParentAsCtaHotspot: false,
title: 'This coat is far too big',
text: 'but it\'s trendy',
overlayAlignment: 'Top Left',
overlayTheme: 'Darken',
alignCopyText: 'center' },
aspectRatio: { w: 4, h: 3 } },
version: 1,
label: 'Image Block 2',
status: 'ACTIVE',
createdBy: '2f38a1a9-c76d-4f34-91fa-652d09b6eede',
createdDate: '2020-08-11T13:45:50.420Z',
lastModifiedBy: '2f38a1a9-c76d-4f34-91fa-652d09b6eede',
lastModifiedDate: '2020-08-12T19:39:12.261Z',
lastPublishedVersion: 1,
lastPublishedDate: '2020-08-12T19:39:11.301Z',
deliveryId: '3fae61b6-56ef-4c31-9c53-40f45131b435',
_links:
{ self:
{ href:
'https://api.amplience.net/v2/content/content-items/3fae61b6-56ef-4c31-9c53-40f45131b435' },
'content-item':
{ href:
'https://api.amplience.net/v2/content/content-items/3fae61b6-56ef-4c31-9c53-40f45131b435{?projection}',
templated: true },
publish:
{ href:
'https://api.amplience.net/v2/content/content-items/3fae61b6-56ef-4c31-9c53-40f45131b435/publish' },
planned:
{ href:
'https://api.amplience.net/v2/content/content-items/3fae61b6-56ef-4c31-9c53-40f45131b435/planned{?epoch,time}',
templated: true },
update:
{ href:
'https://api.amplience.net/v2/content/content-items/3fae61b6-56ef-4c31-9c53-40f45131b435' },
'restore-version':
{ href:
'https://api.amplience.net/v2/content/content-items/3fae61b6-56ef-4c31-9c53-40f45131b435/restore' },
'content-repository':
{ href:
'https://api.amplience.net/v2/content/content-repositories/5c5c64adc9e77c0001d73a22' },
'content-item-version':
{ href:
'https://api.amplience.net/v2/content/content-items/3fae61b6-56ef-4c31-9c53-40f45131b435/versions{/version}',
templated: true },
'content-item-versions':
{ href:
'https://api.amplience.net/v2/content/content-items/3fae61b6-56ef-4c31-9c53-40f45131b435/versions{?page,size,sort}',
templated: true },
'content-item-history':
{ href:
'https://api.amplience.net/v2/content/content-items/3fae61b6-56ef-4c31-9c53-40f45131b435/history{?page,size,sort}',
templated: true },
copy:
{ href:
'https://api.amplience.net/v2/content/content-repositories/{id}/content-items?sourceContentItemId=3fae61b6-56ef-4c31-9c53-40f45131b435',
templated: true },
unarchive:
{ href:
'https://api.amplience.net/v2/content/content-items/3fae61b6-56ef-4c31-9c53-40f45131b435/unarchive' },
archive:
{ href:
'https://api.amplience.net/v2/content/content-items/3fae61b6-56ef-4c31-9c53-40f45131b435/archive' },
'set-locale':
{ href:
'https://api.amplience.net/v2/content/content-items/3fae61b6-56ef-4c31-9c53-40f45131b435/locale' },
'create-localizations':
{ href:
'https://api.amplience.net/v2/content/content-items/3fae61b6-56ef-4c31-9c53-40f45131b435/localize' },
localizations:
{ href:
'https://api.amplience.net/v2/content/content-items/3fae61b6-56ef-4c31-9c53-40f45131b435/localizations{?page,size,sort}',
templated: true },
'localization-jobs':
{ href:
'https://api.amplience.net/v2/content/localization-jobs/search/findByRootContentItem?id=3fae61b6-56ef-4c31-9c53-40f45131b435{&page,size,sort}',
templated: true },
'edition-slot-associations':
{ href:
'https://api.amplience.net/v2/content/content-items/3fae61b6-56ef-4c31-9c53-40f45131b435/edition-slot-associations' },
'edit-workflow':
{ href:
'https://api.amplience.net/v2/content/content-items/3fae61b6-56ef-4c31-9c53-40f45131b435/workflow' },
'content-item-with-children':
{ href:
'https://api.amplience.net/v2/content/content-items/search/findByIdWithChildren?id=3fae61b6-56ef-4c31-9c53-40f45131b435' } } }
{ id: '66436a40-eea3-414e-9036-98580220787a',
contentRepositoryId: '5c5c64adc9e77c0001d73a22',
folderId: null,
body:
{ _meta:
{ name: 'draping---sofa',
schema: 'http://c1-qa.adis.ws/c/cmslabs/draping-demo' },
SVG:
{ _meta: [Object],
id: '1200180d-7332-4228-8e88-1919906e44b8',
name: 'test_sofa',
endpoint: 'bccdemo',
defaultHost: 'i1.adis.ws' },
Textures: [ [Object], [Object], [Object] ] },
version: 1,
label: 'Draping - Sofa',
status: 'ACTIVE',
createdBy: '2f38a1a9-c76d-4f34-91fa-652d09b6eede',
createdDate: '2019-03-12T23:20:41.925Z',
lastModifiedBy: '2f38a1a9-c76d-4f34-91fa-652d09b6eede',
lastModifiedDate: '2019-03-12T23:20:41.925Z',
deliveryId: '66436a40-eea3-414e-9036-98580220787a',
_links:
{ self:
{ href:
'https://api.amplience.net/v2/content/content-items/66436a40-eea3-414e-9036-98580220787a' },
'content-item':
{ href:
'https://api.amplience.net/v2/content/content-items/66436a40-eea3-414e-9036-98580220787a{?projection}',
templated: true },
publish:
{ href:
'https://api.amplience.net/v2/content/content-items/66436a40-eea3-414e-9036-98580220787a/publish' },
planned:
{ href:
'https://api.amplience.net/v2/content/content-items/66436a40-eea3-414e-9036-98580220787a/planned{?epoch,time}',
templated: true },
update:
{ href:
'https://api.amplience.net/v2/content/content-items/66436a40-eea3-414e-9036-98580220787a' },
'restore-version':
{ href:
'https://api.amplience.net/v2/content/content-items/66436a40-eea3-414e-9036-98580220787a/restore' },
'content-repository':
{ href:
'https://api.amplience.net/v2/content/content-repositories/5c5c64adc9e77c0001d73a22' },
'content-item-version':
{ href:
'https://api.amplience.net/v2/content/content-items/66436a40-eea3-414e-9036-98580220787a/versions{/version}',
templated: true },
'content-item-versions':
{ href:
'https://api.amplience.net/v2/content/content-items/66436a40-eea3-414e-9036-98580220787a/versions{?page,size,sort}',
templated: true },
'content-item-history':
{ href:
'https://api.amplience.net/v2/content/content-items/66436a40-eea3-414e-9036-98580220787a/history{?page,size,sort}',
templated: true },
copy:
{ href:
'https://api.amplience.net/v2/content/content-repositories/{id}/content-items?sourceContentItemId=66436a40-eea3-414e-9036-98580220787a',
templated: true },
unarchive:
{ href:
'https://api.amplience.net/v2/content/content-items/66436a40-eea3-414e-9036-98580220787a/unarchive' },
archive:
{ href:
'https://api.amplience.net/v2/content/content-items/66436a40-eea3-414e-9036-98580220787a/archive' },
'set-locale':
{ href:
'https://api.amplience.net/v2/content/content-items/66436a40-eea3-414e-9036-98580220787a/locale' },
'create-localizations':
{ href:
'https://api.amplience.net/v2/content/content-items/66436a40-eea3-414e-9036-98580220787a/localize' },
localizations:
{ href:
'https://api.amplience.net/v2/content/content-items/66436a40-eea3-414e-9036-98580220787a/localizations{?page,size,sort}',
templated: true },
'localization-jobs':
{ href:
'https://api.amplience.net/v2/content/localization-jobs/search/findByRootContentItem?id=66436a40-eea3-414e-9036-98580220787a{&page,size,sort}',
templated: true },
'edition-slot-associations':
{ href:
'https://api.amplience.net/v2/content/content-items/66436a40-eea3-414e-9036-98580220787a/edition-slot-associations' },
'edit-workflow':
{ href:
'https://api.amplience.net/v2/content/content-items/66436a40-eea3-414e-9036-98580220787a/workflow' },
'content-item-with-children':
{ href:
'https://api.amplience.net/v2/content/content-items/search/findByIdWithChildren?id=66436a40-eea3-414e-9036-98580220787a' } } }
this is visually what appears:
and the HTML output:
<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="utf-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, shrink-to-fit=no">
<meta name="description" content="Amplience Demo: List Content Items">
<meta name="author" content="">
<meta http-equiv="Accept-CH" content="DPR,Width,Viewport-Width">
<title>Amplience Demo - List Content Items </title>
<!-- Bootstrap core CSS -->
<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://stackpath.bootstrapcdn.com/bootstrap/4.1.1/css/bootstrap.min.css" integrity="sha384-WskhaSGFgHYWDcbwN70/dfYBj47jz9qbsMId/iRN3ewGhXQFZCSftd1LZCfmhktB" crossorigin="anonymous">
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/static/css/custom.css"/>
</head>
<body>
<nav class="navbar navbar-expand-md navbar-dark bg-dark fixed-top">
<a class="navbar-brand" href="/?id=&store=">
<span class="d-lg-block d-none">Amplience - Content Simplified</span>
<span class="d-block d-lg-none">Amplience</span>
</a>
<button class="navbar-toggler" type="button" data-toggle="collapse" data-target="#navbarsExampleDefault" aria-controls="navbarsExampleDefault" aria-expanded="false" aria-label="Toggle navigation">
<span class="navbar-toggler-icon"></span>
</button>
<div class="collapse navbar-collapse" id="navbarsExampleDefault">
<ul class="navbar-nav mr-auto">
<li class="nav-item dropdown"><a class="nav-link" href="/showJSON?id=&store=">ShowJSON</a></li>
<li class="nav-item"><a class="nav-link" href="/carousel?id=&store=">Carousel</a></li>
<li class="nav-item"><a class="nav-link" href="/panels?id=&store=">Panels</a></li>
<li class="nav-item"><a class="nav-link" href="/ListContentItems/5/1">List Content Items</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
</nav>
<main role="main" class="container">
</main><!-- /.container -->
<!-- Bootstrap core JavaScript
================================================== -->
<!-- Placed at the end of the document so the pages load faster -->
<script src="https://code.jquery.com/jquery-3.3.1.min.js" integrity="sha256-FgpCb/KJQlLNfOu91ta32o/NMZxltwRo8QtmkMRdAu8=" crossorigin="anonymous"></script>
<script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/popper.js/1.14.3/umd/popper.min.js" integrity="sha384-ZMP7rVo3mIykV+2+9J3UJ46jBk0WLaUAdn689aCwoqbBJiSnjAK/l8WvCWPIPm49" crossorigin="anonymous"></script>
<script src="https://stackpath.bootstrapcdn.com/bootstrap/4.1.1/js/bootstrap.min.js" integrity="sha384-smHYKdLADwkXOn1EmN1qk/HfnUcbVRZyYmZ4qpPea6sjB/pTJ0euyQp0Mk8ck+5T" crossorigin="anonymous"></script> </body>
</html>
I think it's quite clear that the body of the template simply isn't rendering.
but other more complex routes render as expected..
let me know if you need further information.

Answer 1

After starting a brand new project and pulling this one route in I had a moment of enlightenment - here's the answer for anybody who hits a similar problem:
I was using the express-handlebars package which defaulted to main.hbs as it's layout.
I'd written a bunch of conditionals in there (bit of a noob error on reflection) which was preventing the body ever rendering - must've been a bit of a fluke that only this route was broken.
Lesson: don't put any complicated logic in your main.hbs file if your using express-handlebars.