# Templating Techniques for Scenarios

{% hint style="info" %}
Turn off **smart field inputs** to use the following techniques
{% endhint %}

### Escaping special characters

```
{‌{#escape}‌}{‌{name}‌}{‌{/escape}‌}

// if {{name}} is 'aaaa"aaaa', this operator will add 
// a backslash before each special character for escaping them.
// The result of templating will be: 'aaaa\"aaaa'
```

### Removing line breaks

```
{{#stripNewLine}‌}this new
line{‌{/stripNewLine}}

// operator removes line breaks
// result of templating will be: 'this new line'
```

### Escaping line breaks (useful for JSONs)

This operator escapes `\n` (line breaks). Thanks to that a multiline JSON can be sent in the http-request body as follows:

```
//{{json}} is a field value with multiline json

//body of the http-request:
{"key":"{{#escape}}{{#escapeNewLine}}{{json}}{{/escapeNewLine}}{{/escape}}"}
```

### Replace `"`→`'`

```
{{#replaceDoubleQuotes}}hello "there'{{/replaceDoubleQuotes}}

// result hello 'there'
```

### Encode URI

Executes [encodeUriComponent()](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/encodeURIComponent) for the string

```
{{#encodeURIComponent}}Mr. John Smith{{/encodeURIComponent}}

// result: Mr.%20John%20Smith
```

### Decode URI

Decodes the string encoded by `encodeURIComponent`

```
{{#decodeURIComponent}}Mr.%20John%20Smith{{/decodeURIComponent}}

// result: Mr. John Smith
```

### Convert to JS-multiline

Useful feature for applying regex.

```
{{#toJsMultiLine}}test
test{{/toJsMultiLine}}

//Regex example (pay attention – no quotes ""):

{{#toJsMultiLine}}{{template}}{{/toJsMultiLine}}.replace(/\{\$name\}/g,"{{field}}")

// result: test\ntest
```

### Escape JSON

```
{{#escapeJson}}He didn't say, "Stop!"{{/escapeJson}}

// result: He didn't say, \"Stop!\"
```

### Formatting date

{% hint style="info" %}
Hint: You may also use `moment().format()`
{% endhint %}

```
{{#formatDate|dd MMMM, Y}}{{date}}{{/formatDate|dd MMMM, Y}}

// {{date}} == 2020-04-27T12:31:19.000Z
// result of templating will be: 27 April, 2020
```

Learn more about [date/time formats](https://readme.directual.com/data/data-types/formatting-date-time-data).

### Handling boolean properties

```
// shows if is_vip == true
{{#is_vip}}vip{{/is_vip}}

// shows if is_vip == false
{{^is_vip}}not vip{{/is_vip}}
```

### Nesting arrays of linked objects

If a property has [arrayLink](https://readme.directual.com/data/data-types#available-data-types) type, we can nest its objects as follows: 

```
// {{books_ids}} — field type of arrayLink
// {{title}} and {{year}} — the fields of linked objects

{{#books_ids}}
    – {{title}}, {{year}}
{{/books_ids}}

// If such {{books_ids}} contains, for example, three links,
// such a construction will result as follows:
// – Life of Samuel Johnson, 1791
// - Crime and Punishment, 1866
// - The Sun Also Rises, 1927
```

{% embed url="<https://youtu.be/jhiYG6_nK1s>" %}

### Handling arrays

```
// We can template the Array field, iterationg its elements:

{{#arr}}
    - {{.}}
{{/arr}}

// if {{arr}} == a,b,c
// result of templating will be: 
// - a
// - b
// - c
```

Also, we can avoid empty elements of an array:

```
{{#musketeers}}
  {{#.}}
  - {{.}}
  {{/.}}
{{/musketeers}}

// {{musketeers}} == "Athos", "Aramis", "", "D'Artagnan"
// result of templating will be: 
// - Athos
// - Aramis
// - D'Artagnan
```

Check the [tips for advanced working](https://readme.directual.com/template-system/tips-for-working-with-data) with Arrays.

### Handling JSON

#### JSON templating

Let's a property has [json-type](https://readme.directual.com/data/data-types), and equals to:

```
// {{book-json}} is a json-type field:
{
  "title":"The Wealth of Nations",
  "year": 1776,
  "autor: {
    "first_name":"Adam",
    "last_name":"Smith"
  },
  "is_classic":true
}
```

We can address to its properties as follows:

```
{{book-json.title}} == The Wealth of Nations
{{book-json.is_classic}} == true
{{book-json.autor.first_name}} == Adam
```

Remember, that if JSON contains array of objects, you have to apply JS SDK methods ([here it is an instruction](https://readme.directual.com/template-system/tips-for-working-with-data)).

#### JSON as a JS object

Also, you can apply JS for parsing JSON, handle it as a js-object (don't forget to [turn on JS-evaluating](https://readme.directual.com/template-system/evaluating-as-js-expression))

```
{{json}}.title
// or
{{json}}.title[0].name
// or
{{json}}["title"]
```

#### Lodash for JSON parsing

```javascript
_.get({{json}},"title[0].name")
```

### Using now, today, +/– days

{% hint style="info" %}
For using this feature you have to turn on [Evaluate as a JS-expression](https://readme.directual.com/template-system/evaluating-as-js-expression)
{% endhint %}

```
now == current date and time
today == current date, time 00:00
now -1 days == yesterday
today +N days == N days after today
now +10 minutes +15 seconds == 10 minutes and 15 seconds after the current moment
```

### Using Lodash

You can apply [Lodash](https://lodash.com/) in expressions. Lodash is a modern JavaScript utility library delivering modularity, performance & extras.

```javascript
// some examples:
_.defaults({ 'a': 1 }, { 'a': 3, 'b': 2 });
// → { 'a': 1, 'b': 2 }
_.partition([1, 2, 3, 4], n => n % 2);
// → [[1, 3], [2, 4]]
_.difference([2, 1], [2, 3]);
// => [1]
```