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ASP Digital Design System

Embracing Nunjucks templating for a more efficient web experience

We have recently undertaken a significant enhancement of their digital applications by transitioning from traditional HTML templating to using Nunjucks, facilitated through the ASP frontend library. This strategic move aligns with modern web development practices and offers numerous benefits, including improved code maintainability, enhanced performance, and a more consistent user experience.

The Motivation Behind the Transition

The decision to migrate to Nunjucks was driven by the need to modernise the templating system within the police force’s applications. Traditional HTML templating methods often involve repetitive code and can be challenging to maintain as applications grow in complexity. By adopting Nunjucks, a flexible templating engine, we aimed to streamline their development process and ensure their applications remain robust and scalable.

Benefits of Using Nunjucks with the ASP Frontend Library

  1. Code Reduction and Maintainability: Nunjucks allows for the creation of reusable components, significantly reducing code duplication. This modular approach simplifies maintenance and accelerates development cycles.
  2. Enhanced Performance: With a more efficient templating engine, the rendering of pages becomes faster, leading to improved application performance and a better user experience.
  3. Consistency Across Applications: Utilising the ASP frontend library in conjunction with Nunjucks ensures a uniform look and feel across all applications, reinforcing the organisation’s brand identity and providing users with a seamless experience.

Implementation Strategy

Adopting an incremental approach to the migration, allowing both the old and new templating systems to coexist during the transition. This strategy minimised disruptions and ensured that critical functionalities remained unaffected. By gradually updating templates to inherit from the new base templates, the development team could systematically modernise the codebase without compromising the stability of their applications.

Conclusion

The shift to Nunjucks templating via the ASP frontend library represents forward-thinking. This transition not only modernises their digital infrastructure but also sets the stage for future enhancements, ensuring that their applications remain efficient, maintainable, and user-centric.

Published 3 September 2024
Last updated 3 March 2025