How to Set HTML Template Tag Content without JavaScript Selectors

Learn how to set content in HTML template tags without relying on JavaScript selectors. Discover why it's not possible and explore better techniques to achieve your goals.
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This video is based on the question https://stackoverflow.com/q/66673526/ asked by the user 'daslicht' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/1527027/ ) and on the answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/66673638/ provided by the user 'T.J. Crowder' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/157247/ ) at 'Stack Overflow' website. Thanks to these great users and Stackexchange community for their contributions.

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Understanding HTML Template Tags

HTML template tags are a powerful feature in web development that allow developers to define markup that can be instantiated later on. They are particularly useful for creating dynamic and reusable components. However, one question many developers encounter is whether they can set the content of these templates without utilizing JavaScript selectors.

The Problem: Setting Content Without Selectors

Imagine you have an HTML template defined as follows:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

You might want to render a list of items using this template. A common approach involves cloning the template and then using JavaScript to select and modify specific elements within it. However, you might wonder if there's a way to set the content using variables directly in the template, perhaps something like this:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Is it possible to use this approach with HTML templates?

The Answer: Why It Can't Be Done

The short answer is, no, it can't be done in the way you might expect.

Key Points to Consider:

No Built-in Evaluation: HTML <template> elements do not have an internal method to process or evaluate variables directly within their content. Unlike JavaScript template literals, which can incorporate variables dynamically, the template content remains static until it's instantiated in the DOM.

DOM Manipulation: While you can manipulate the DOM and traverse it without selectors, it may not be practical. The methods available for modifying content usually require some form of selection to target specific elements.

Alternative Approach: Using JavaScript Function

Although direct modification of template content is not feasible, you can accomplish your goal by using a JavaScript function combined with template literals.

Here's how you can do it:

Define the Template as a String:
Use a JavaScript template literal to create your desired HTML structure, injecting the variable values where necessary.

Insert the HTML:
Use methods like insertAdjacentHTML() or innerHTML to add this generated HTML content to your document.

Example Implementation:

Here’s an example of how to achieve this:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

In this setup:

The renderTemplate function takes an id parameter to create unique identifiers for each input element.

The generated HTML is inserted into a container in the DOM.

Conclusion

While it is intriguing to think about using variables directly within HTML templates, the current structure of <template> tags does not support this feature. However, utilizing JavaScript functions and template literals provides an efficient way to handle dynamic content without overly relying on complex selection logic.

If you are looking to create reusable components, consider integrating this method into your development practices to maintain cleaner and more efficient code.

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