Node/Express server-side include equivalent for static files

Question

Express has no equivalent to server-side includes for static client-side content.

Can someone recommend a good solution for robustly replicating this functionality (for web age headers and footers mostly), but without resorting to a full-scale HAML redesign? Partials is deprecated.

Answer 1

If you're using node.js, you should be able to just use require on the server file you want, assuming it's a js file:

require('myfile.js');

You will have to modify your js file to include a module export so you can gain access to various functions.

myfile.js:

module.exports = {
  nameToAccessFunction: myFunc,
  someOtherFunction: myOtherFunc
}

var someVarForMyFileStuff;
function myFunc() { stuff... };
function myOtherFunc() { other stuff... };

Then your app file should look something like this when using that included file:

var myFile = require('myfile.js');
myFile.nameToAccessFunction();
myFile.someOtherFunction();

You can also nest your requires within other required files as much as you wish.