How to iterate over array of objects in Handlebars?

Question

This might seem a silly question but I can't seem to find the answer anywhere.

I'm hitting this Web API that returns an array of objects in JSON format:

array of objects

Handlebars docs shows the following example:

<ul class="people_list">
  {{#each people}}
  <li>{{this}}</li>
  {{/each}}
</ul>

In the context of:

{
  people: [
    "Yehuda Katz",
    "Alan Johnson",
    "Charles Jolley"
  ]
}

In my case I don't have a name for the array, it's just the root object of the response. I've tried using {{#each}} with no luck.

First time using Handlebars... What am I missing?

UPDATE

Here's a simplified fiddle to show you what I'm asking: http://jsfiddle.net/KPCh4/2/

Does handlebars require the context variable to be an object and not an array?

How do you pass the api results to the template (*currently*) ? — Gabriele Petrioli, Mar 27 '14 at 19:12
@GabyakaG.Petrioli the API is not mine, I have no control over it. I'm just using jQuery ajax and getting the response object, which is an array of objects. — empz, Mar 27 '14 at 19:14

score 193 · Accepted Answer · edited May 11 '18 at 14:30

193

You can pass this to each block. See here: http://jsfiddle.net/yR7TZ/1/

{{#each this}}
    <div class="row"></div>
{{/each}}

edited May 11 '18 at 14:30

Liam

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answered Mar 27 '14 at 19:19

AZ.

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1

Then is it possible to call the index number of the outer loop `{{#each people}}` inside the inner loop `{{#each this}}` ? Like `{{people@index}}` – RegarBoy May 22 '17 at 07:47

score 34 · Answer 2 · edited May 11 '18 at 14:30

This fiddle has both each and direct json. http://jsfiddle.net/streethawk707/a9ssja22/.

Below are the two ways of iterating over array. One is with direct json passing and another is naming the json array while passing to content holder.

Eg1: The below example is directly calling json key (data) inside small_data variable.

In html use the below code:

<div id="small-content-placeholder"></div>

The below can be placed in header or body of html:

<script id="small-template" type="text/x-handlebars-template">
    <table>
        <thead>
            <th>Username</th>
            <th>email</th>
        </thead>
        <tbody>
            {{#data}}
                <tr>
                    <td>{{username}}
                    </td>
                    <td>{{email}}</td>
                </tr>
            {{/data}}
        </tbody>
    </table>
</script>

The below one is on document ready:

var small_source   = $("#small-template").html();
var small_template = Handlebars.compile(small_source);

The below is the json:

var small_data = {
            data: [
                {username: "alan1", firstName: "Alan", lastName: "Johnson", email: "alan1@test.com" },
                {username: "alan2", firstName: "Alan", lastName: "Johnson", email: "alan2@test.com" }
            ]
        };

Finally attach the json to content holder:

$("#small-content-placeholder").html(small_template(small_data));

Eg2: Iteration using each.

Consider the below json.

var big_data = [
            {
                name: "users1",
                details: [
                    {username: "alan1", firstName: "Alan", lastName: "Johnson", email: "alan@test.com" },
                    {username: "allison1", firstName: "Allison", lastName: "House", email: "allison@test.com" },
                    {username: "ryan1", firstName: "Ryan", lastName: "Carson", email: "ryan@test.com" }
                  ]
            },
            {
                name: "users2",
                details: [
                    {username: "alan2", firstName: "Alan", lastName: "Johnson", email: "alan@test.com" },
                    {username: "allison2", firstName: "Allison", lastName: "House", email: "allison@test.com" },
                    {username: "ryan2", firstName: "Ryan", lastName: "Carson", email: "ryan@test.com" }
                  ]
            }
      ];

While passing the json to content holder just name it in this way:

$("#big-content-placeholder").html(big_template({big_data:big_data}));

And the template looks like :

<script id="big-template" type="text/x-handlebars-template">
    <table>
        <thead>
            <th>Username</th>
            <th>email</th>
        </thead>
        <tbody>
            {{#each big_data}}
                <tr>
                    <td>{{name}}
                            <ul>
                                {{#details}}
                                    <li>{{username}}</li>
                                    <li>{{email}}</li>
                                {{/details}}
                            </ul>
                    </td>
                    <td>{{email}}</td>
                </tr>
            {{/each}}
        </tbody>
    </table>
</script>

How does one compile this using gulp handlebars? – webkitfanz Dec 13 '17 at 13:54 — webkitfanz, Dec 13 '17 at 13:54

score 12 · Answer 3 · edited May 11 '18 at 14:30

12

I meant in the template() call..

You just need to pass the results as an object. So instead of calling

var html = template(data);

do

var html = template({apidata: data});

and use {{#each apidata}} in your template code

demo at http://jsfiddle.net/KPCh4/4/
(removed some leftover if code that crashed)

edited May 11 '18 at 14:30

Liam

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answered Mar 27 '14 at 19:18

Gabriele Petrioli

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That's nice, but AZ answer is better. Using `{{#each this}}` is the correct form. – empz Mar 27 '14 at 19:20

score 9 · Answer 4 · edited May 11 '18 at 14:31

Handlebars can use an array as the context. You can use . as the root of the data. So you can loop through your array data with {{#each .}}.

var data = [
  {
    Category: "General",
    DocumentList: [
      {
        DocumentName: "Document Name 1 - General",
        DocumentLocation: "Document Location 1 - General"
      },
      {
        DocumentName: "Document Name 2 - General",
        DocumentLocation: "Document Location 2 - General"
      }
    ]
  },
  {
    Category: "Unit Documents",
    DocumentList: [
      {
        DocumentName: "Document Name 1 - Unit Documents",
        DocumentList: "Document Location 1 - Unit Documents"
      }
    ]
  },
  {
    Category: "Minutes"
  }
];

$(function() {
  var source = $("#document-template").html();
  var template = Handlebars.compile(source);
  var html = template(data);
  $('#DocumentResults').html(html);
});

.row {
  border: 1px solid red;
}

<script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/handlebars.js/1.0.0/handlebars.js"></script>
<script src="https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/2.0.2/jquery.min.js"></script>
<div id="DocumentResults">pos</div>
<script id="document-template" type="text/x-handlebars-template">
  <div>
  {{#each .}}
    <div class="row">
      <div class="col-md-12">
        <h2>{{Category}}</h2>
        {{#DocumentList}}
        <p>{{DocumentName}} at {{DocumentLocation}}</p>
        {{/DocumentList}}
      </div>
    </div>
  {{/each}}
  </div>
</script>

score 8 · Answer 5 · answered Aug 21 '20 at 13:06

I had a similar issue I was getting the entire object in this but the value was displaying while doing #each.

Solution: I re-structure my array of object like this:

let list = results.map((item)=>{
    return { name:item.name, author:item.author }
});

and then in template file:

{{#each list}}
    <tr>
        <td>{{name }}</td>
        <td>{{author}}</td>      
    </tr>
{{/each}}

score 3 · Answer 6 · edited May 11 '18 at 14:32

3

Using this and {{this}}. See code below in node.js:

var Handlebars= require("handlebars");
var randomList= ["James Bond", "Dr. No", "Octopussy", "Goldeneye"];
var source= "<ul>{{#each this}}<li>{{this}}</li>{{/each}}</ul>";
var template= Handlebars.compile(source);
console.log(template(randomList));

Console log output:

<ul><li>James Bond</li><li>Dr. No</li><li>Octopussy</li><li>Goldeneye</li></ul>

edited May 11 '18 at 14:32

Liam

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answered Nov 14 '14 at 19:43

Megatron

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Doesn't the question specifically say array of objects, and not just arrays, I don't understand how this answer helps. – Oct 26 '20 at 04:28
This works for bare arrays of objects where your array isn't on a property. – NickG Aug 30 '22 at 15:21

How to iterate over array of objects in Handlebars?

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