zPdfGenerator.TemplatePreview 0.1.8

zPdfGenerator.TemplatePreview

zPdfGenerator.TemplatePreview is a .NET global tool that provides a fast and generic way to preview HTML templates rendered with Fluid (Liquid syntax) using sample JSON data.

It is designed to help you author, debug, and iterate on HTML templates that will later be converted to PDF (for example using zPdfGenerator), without having to write code or regenerate PDFs constantly.

Features

• Preview any HTML template using Fluid/Liquid syntax
• Uses a side-by-side *.sample.json file as mock data
• Opens the rendered HTML automatically in your browser
• --watch mode to re-render instantly on file changes
• Distributed as a .NET global tool
• No knowledge of placeholders required — fully generic

Installation

The tool is distributed as a NuGet .NET Tool.

Prerequisites

• .NET 8 SDK or Runtime installed

Install globally

dotnet tool install -g zPdfGenerator.TemplatePreview

Verify installation:

zg-templates --help

Usage

Basic usage

zg-templates preview Templates/Invoice.html

Using a full path (with spaces)

zg-templates preview "Templates/My Invoice.html"

Watch mode (recommended)

zg-templates preview Templates/Invoice.html --watch

• Re-renders automatically when the HTML or JSON changes
• Refresh the browser (F5) to see updates

Options

Example:

zg-templates preview Templates/Invoice.html --watch 

Template conventions

HTML template

Use Fluid / Liquid syntax:

<h1>Invoice {{ InvoiceNumber }}</h1>

{% if ShowDiscounts %}
  <div>Discounts section</div>
{% endif %}

<ul>
{% for line in Lines %}
  <li>{{ line.Description }} - {{ line.Price }}</li>
{% endfor %}
</ul>

Sample JSON

{
  "InvoiceNumber": "INV-001",
  "ShowDiscounts": true,
  "Lines": [
    { "Description": "Consulting", "Price": 500 },
    { "Description": "License", "Price": 200 }
  ]
}

Design goals

• No strong typing
• No predefined placeholders
• No coupling to PDF generation
• Works with any HTML template
• Optimized for template authoring and previewing

Related projects

This tool is part of the zGenerators ecosystem:

• zExcelGenerator
  Excel reports with a fluent API
  https://github.com/juanjozorry/zGenerators

• zPdfGenerator
  PDF generation from Forms and HTML templates
  https://github.com/juanjozorry/zGenerators

License

MIT License © Juanjo Jiménez Zorrilla