title: Node.js: SyntaxError: Unexpected token : while compiling ejs
body: <p>I am trying to apply filter to EJS using Node.JS and I am getting the below error. I want the message content to be displayed in uppercase. </p>
  
  <pre><code>D:\Apps\Templating\ejs&gt;node server.js
  D:\Apps\node_modules\ejs\lib\ejs.js:470
        throw e;
              ^
  SyntaxError: Unexpected token : while compiling ejs
      at Function (native)
      at Object.Template.compile (D:\Apps\node_m
  odules\ejs\lib\ejs.js:460:12)
      at Object.compile (D:\Apps\node_modules\ej
  s\lib\ejs.js:288:16)
      at handleCache (D:\Apps\node_modules\ejs\l
  ib\ejs.js:147:16)
      at Object.exports.render (D:\Apps\node_mod
  ules\ejs\lib\ejs.js:315:10)
      at Object.&lt;anonymous&gt; (D:\Apps\Templating\
  ejs\server.js:3:17)
      at Module._compile (module.js:460:26)
      at Object.Module._extensions..js (module.js:478:10)
      at Module.load (module.js:355:32)
      at Function.Module._load (module.js:310:12)
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>This is my code- server.js:</p>
  
  <pre><code>var ejs = require('ejs');
  var template = "&lt;%=: message | upcase %&gt;";
  console.log(ejs.render(template,{message : 'hello ejs with filter'}));
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>I have installed ejs using the package manager and it is working for normal scripts with out filters(:). EJS version downloaded is the latest- 2.3.3 and node version is 0.12.4.</p>
  
  <pre><code>npm install ejs
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Any help will be appreciated. Thanks in advance.</p>