Phase 1 of precompiled extraction:

Separate template logic from container construction.

lib/handlebars/compiler/compiler.js

@@ -345,7 +345,7 @@ Handlebars.JavaScriptCompiler = function() {};
         }
       }
 
-      return this.createFunction();
+      return this.createFunctionContext();
     },
 
     nextOpcode: function(n) {
@@ -388,25 +388,7 @@ Handlebars.JavaScriptCompiler = function() {};
       this.source = out;
     },
 
-    createFunction: function() {
-      var container = {
-        escapeExpression: Handlebars.Utils.escapeExpression,
-        invokePartial: Handlebars.VM.invokePartial,
-        programs: [],
-        program: function(i, helpers, partials, data) {
-          var programWrapper = this.programs[i];
-          if(data) {
-            return Handlebars.VM.program(this.children[i], helpers, partials, data);
-          } else if(programWrapper) {
-            return programWrapper;
-          } else {
-            programWrapper = this.programs[i] = Handlebars.VM.program(this.children[i], helpers, partials);
-            return programWrapper;
-          }
-        },
-        programWithDepth: Handlebars.VM.programWithDepth,
-        noop: Handlebars.VM.noop
-      };
+    createFunctionContext: function() {
       var locals = this.stackVars.concat(this.registers.list);
 
       if(locals.length > 0) {
@@ -434,16 +416,9 @@ Handlebars.JavaScriptCompiler = function() {};
 
       Handlebars.log(Handlebars.logger.DEBUG, fn.toString() + "\n\n");
 
-      container.render = fn;
-
-      container.children = this.environment.children;
-
-      return function(context, options, $depth) {
-        options = options || {};
-        var args = [Handlebars, context, options.helpers, options.partials, options.data];
-        var depth = Array.prototype.slice.call(arguments, 2);
-        args = args.concat(depth);
-        return container.render.apply(container, args);
+      return {
+        fn: fn,
+        children: this.environment.children
       };
     },
 

lib/handlebars/vm.js

@@ -2,6 +2,43 @@ var Handlebars = require("handlebars");
 
 // BEGIN(BROWSER)
 Handlebars.VM = {
+  generateContainer: function(template) {
+    // Setup all children
+    for (var i = 0, len = template.children.length; i < len; i++) {
+      template.children[i] = this.generateContainer(template.children[i]);
+    }
+
+    // Just add water
+    var container = {
+      escapeExpression: Handlebars.Utils.escapeExpression,
+      invokePartial: Handlebars.VM.invokePartial,
+      programs: [],
+      program: function(i, helpers, partials, data) {
+        var programWrapper = this.programs[i];
+        if(data) {
+          return Handlebars.VM.program(this.children[i], helpers, partials, data);
+        } else if(programWrapper) {
+          return programWrapper;
+        } else {
+          programWrapper = this.programs[i] = Handlebars.VM.program(this.children[i], helpers, partials);
+          return programWrapper;
+        }
+      },
+      programWithDepth: Handlebars.VM.programWithDepth,
+      noop: Handlebars.VM.noop
+    };
+    container.render = template.fn;
+    container.children = template.children;
+
+    return function(context, options, $depth) {
+      options = options || {};
+      var args = [Handlebars, context, options.helpers, options.partials, options.data];
+      var depth = Array.prototype.slice.call(arguments, 2);
+      args = args.concat(depth);
+      return container.render.apply(container, args);
+    };
+  },
+
   programWithDepth: function(fn, helpers, partials, data, $depth) {
     var args = Array.prototype.slice.call(arguments, 4);
 
@@ -32,7 +69,8 @@ Handlebars.VM = {
   compile: function(string, options) {
     var ast = Handlebars.parse(string);
     var environment = new Handlebars.Compiler().compile(ast, options);
-    return new Handlebars.JavaScriptCompiler().compile(environment, options);
+    var logic = new Handlebars.JavaScriptCompiler().compile(environment, options);
+    return Handlebars.VM.generateContainer(logic);
   },
   invokePartial: function(partial, name, context, helpers, partials) {
     if(partial === undefined) {