PocketPages

echo() - Response Output Helper

  • Type: Function(...args: any[]) => void
  • Description: Writes values directly to the response output stream
  • Global: Yes (available as echo() in templates)
  • API Method: api.echo(...args)

Note: echo() writes immediately to the response output stream when called, whether in a loader or template. Objects are automatically stringified, so there's no need to call JSON.stringify() unless you need special formatting.

Basic Usage

<!-- Direct output in templates -->
<% echo(someVariable) %>

<!-- Objects are automatically stringified -->
<% echo({ hello: 'world' }) %>

<!-- Multiple arguments -->
<% echo('Status:', status, 'Count:', count) %>

Common Use Cases

Debugging

<!-- Quick variable inspection -->
<pre>
<% echo('Data: ', data) %>
<% echo('Params: ', params) %>
<% echo('Form: ', formData) %>
</pre>

<!-- Debug points -->
<% echo('>>> Checkpoint 1') %>

Custom Responses

/** @type {import('pocketpages').MiddlewareLoaderFunc} */
module.exports = function (api) {
  const { echo, request } = api

  // Early response - outputs before headers are sent
  if (request.header('Accept') === 'application/json') {
    echo({ ok: true })
    return {}
  }

  // Continue to template rendering
  return {
    /* ... */
  }
}

Function Inspection

<!-- See what a function looks like -->
<pre>
<% echo(mysteriousFunction) %>
</pre>

echo() vs Logging

  • echo(): Immediate response output

    <% echo(data) %>  <!-- Shows in browser -->

  • dbg(), info(): Server-side logging

    <% dbg(data) %>   <!-- Shows in server console -->

Important Notes

  • In loaders, echo() writes to the response stream before headers are sent
  • In templates, echo() writes inline with the template output
  • No need to use <%= %> - just <% echo() %> is sufficient
  • Multiple arguments are automatically space-separated
  • Objects are automatically stringified

See Also