function renderTemplate(template, context) {
    var esc = $(document.createElement('div'));

    function handle(ph, escape) {
      var cur = context;
      $.each(ph.split('.'), function() {
        cur = cur[this];
      });
      return escape ? esc.text(cur || "").html() : cur;
    }

    return template.replace(/<([%#])([\w\.]*)\1>/g, function() {
      return handle(arguments[2], arguments[1] == '%' ? true : false);
    });
  }
A simple template renderer. Placeholders such as <%id%> are replaced
by context['id'] with items being escaped. Placeholders such as <#id#>
are not escaped.