How to use packages in EJS template? - node.js

Question

I'm trying to use timeago.js in an EJS template. I have tried to export the library like this:
src/lib/lib.js
const timeago = require('timeago.js');
exports.index = function(req, res){
res.render('links/list',{timeago: timeago});
}
The route is:
routes/links.js
router.get('/', (req, res)=>{
sequelize.query('SELECT * FROM links', {
type: sequelize.QueryTypes.SELECT
}).then((links)=>{
res.render('links/list', {links: links});
});
});
The EJS template is:
views/links/list.ejs
<div class="container p-4">
<div class="row">
<% for(i of links){ %>
<div class="col-md-3">
<div class="card text-center">
<div class="card-body">
<a target="_blank" href="<%= i.url %>">
<h3 class="card-title text-uppercase"><%= i.title %></h3>
</a>
<p class="m-2"><%= i.description %></p>
<h1><%= timeago.format(i.created_at); %></h1>
Delete Link
Edit
</div>
</div>
</div>
<% } %>
I need to use the library in the h1 to transform a timestamp I got from the database. However, I always get the same error: timeago is not defined.
How could I export Timeago correctly to use in EJS template? If I require the library in the routes file and send it to the EJS template through an object works perfectly, but not when I export it from another file.

Answer 1

I made the following test program to do a minimal test of timeago.js
const ejs = require('ejs');
const timeago = require('timeago.js');
let template = `
<% for(i of links){ %>
<h1> <%- i.created_at %>: <%- timeago.format(i.created_at) %> </h1>
<% } %>
`;
const renderData = {
links: [
{
created_at: new Date()
}
],
timeago
};
const output = ejs.render(template, renderData);
console.log(output);
Output:
<h1> Mon Sep 07 2020 00:01:57 GMT-0700 (Pacific Daylight Time): just now </h1>
So as long as you correctly pass the timeago object into your rendering data it will work.
The problem is likely here:
router.get('/', (req, res)=>{
sequelize.query('SELECT * FROM links', {
type: sequelize.QueryTypes.SELECT
}).then((links)=>{
res.render('links/list', {links: links});
});
});
Where you are not passing in the timeago object. This line:
res.render('links/list', {links: links});
Should probably be:
res.render('links/list', {links: links, timeago});
Edit:
More complete example using file paths specified in comments:
routes/links.js:
var express = require('express')
var router = express.Router();
const lib = require("../src/lib/lib");
router.get('/', (req, res)=>{
lib.index(req, res);
});
module.exports = router;
src/lib/lib.js
const timeago = require('timeago.js');
exports.index = function(req, res) {
const links = [
{
created_at: new Date()
}
];
res.render('links/list',{ timeago, links });
}