Rails - Aug 2005 - Equivalent of PHP's echo or ASP's response.write?

I can''t seem to find this in the Agile rails book or the online docs...

I want to be able to kick out small snippets of text without making
new code blocks, so instead of:

<% for item in @items
  product = item.product
-%>
<div><%= item.quantity %></div>
<% end -%>

i''d rather say something to the effect of:

<% for item in @items
  product = item.product
  puts "<div>#{item.quantity}</div>"
end -%>

Obviously this is a contrived example, but I think you all know what I mean.

tia

-- 
Brock Weaver
[OBC]Technique

Straight from the Rails wiki 
(http://api.rubyonrails.com/classes/ActionView/Base.html)

You trigger ERb by using embeddings such as <% %> and <%= %>. The 
difference is whether you want output or not. Consider the following 
loop for names:

  <b>Names of all the people</b>
  <% for person in @people %>
    Name: <%= person.name %><br/>
  <% end %>

The loop is setup in regular embedding tags (<% %>) and the name is 
written using the output embedding tag (<%= %>). Note that this is not 
just a usage suggestion. Regular output functions like print or puts 
won’t work with ERb templates. So this would be wrong:

  Hi, Mr. <% puts "Frodo" %>

(If you absolutely must write from within a function, you can use the 
TextHelper#concat)



Brock Weaver wrote:
>I can''t seem to find this in the Agile rails book or the online
docs...
>
>I want to be able to kick out small snippets of text without making
>new code blocks, so instead of:
>
><% for item in @items
>  product = item.product
>-%>
><div><%= item.quantity %></div>
><% end -%>
>
>i''d rather say something to the effect of:
>
><% for item in @items
>  product = item.product
>  puts "<div>#{item.quantity}</div>"
>end -%>
>
>Obviously this is a contrived example, but I think you all know what I mean.
>
>tia
>
>  
>

Didn''t know about concat -- exactly what I was looking for.  Thank you.

On 8/22/05, Jake Good <jake-UDG8+2NMCBIv34k0vaUUyg@public.gmane.org>
wrote:
> Straight from the Rails wiki
> (http://api.rubyonrails.com/classes/ActionView/Base.html)
> 
> You trigger ERb by using embeddings such as <% %> and <%= %>.
The
> difference is whether you want output or not. Consider the following
> loop for names:
> 
>   <b>Names of all the people</b>
>   <% for person in @people %>
>     Name: <%= person.name %><br/>
>   <% end %>
> 
> The loop is setup in regular embedding tags (<% %>) and the name is
> written using the output embedding tag (<%= %>). Note that this is
not
> just a usage suggestion. Regular output functions like print or puts
> won''t work with ERb templates. So this would be wrong:
> 
>   Hi, Mr. <% puts "Frodo" %>
> 
> (If you absolutely must write from within a function, you can use the
> TextHelper#concat)
> 
> 
> 
> Brock Weaver wrote:
> 
> >I can''t seem to find this in the Agile rails book or the
online docs...
> >
> >I want to be able to kick out small snippets of text without making
> >new code blocks, so instead of:
> >
> ><% for item in @items
> >  product = item.product
> >-%>
> ><div><%= item.quantity %></div>
> ><% end -%>
> >
> >i''d rather say something to the effect of:
> >
> ><% for item in @items
> >  product = item.product
> >  puts "<div>#{item.quantity}</div>"
> >end -%>
> >
> >Obviously this is a contrived example, but I think you all know what I
mean.
> >
> >tia
> >
> >
> >
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Rails mailing list
> Rails-1W37MKcQCpIf0INCOvqR/iCwEArCW2h5@public.gmane.org
> http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails
> 

-- 
Brock Weaver
[OBC]Technique

Brock Weaver wrote:
> <% for item in @items
>   product = item.product
> -%>
> <div><%= item.quantity %></div>
> <% end -%>
This case is best handled by

<%= @items.collect {|item| content_tag ''div'',
item.quantity} %>

<% items.each do |item| -%>
  <div><%= item %>
<% end -%>

id personally recommend this over trying to turn 50% of your templates
into ruby itself.  you just may kick yourself later on wanting to add
an id or class to that div,  or switching the design into a table for
any given reason.


On 8/23/05, Nicholas Seckar
<nseckar-Re5JQEeQqe8AvxtiuMwx3w@public.gmane.org>
wrote:
> Brock Weaver wrote:
> > <% for item in @items
> >   product = item.product
> > -%>
> > <div><%= item.quantity %></div>
> > <% end -%>
> 
> This case is best handled by
> 
> <%= @items.collect {|item| content_tag ''div'',
item.quantity} %>
> _______________________________________________
> Rails mailing list
> Rails-1W37MKcQCpIf0INCOvqR/iCwEArCW2h5@public.gmane.org
> http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails
> 

-- 
Zachery Hostens <zacheryph-Re5JQEeQqe8AvxtiuMwx3w@public.gmane.org>

Thank you everybody for all the advice.  I will keep them in mind as I
come across different situations.  Have a good day!

On 8/23/05, Zachery Hostens
<zacheryph-Re5JQEeQqe8AvxtiuMwx3w@public.gmane.org>
wrote:
> <% items.each do |item| -%>
>   <div><%= item %>
> <% end -%>
> 
> id personally recommend this over trying to turn 50% of your templates
> into ruby itself.  you just may kick yourself later on wanting to add
> an id or class to that div,  or switching the design into a table for
> any given reason.
> 
> 
> On 8/23/05, Nicholas Seckar
<nseckar-Re5JQEeQqe8AvxtiuMwx3w@public.gmane.org> wrote:
> > Brock Weaver wrote:
> > > <% for item in @items
> > >   product = item.product
> > > -%>
> > > <div><%= item.quantity %></div>
> > > <% end -%>
> >
> > This case is best handled by
> >
> > <%= @items.collect {|item| content_tag ''div'',
item.quantity} %>
> > _______________________________________________
> > Rails mailing list
> > Rails-1W37MKcQCpIf0INCOvqR/iCwEArCW2h5@public.gmane.org
> > http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails
> >
> 
> 
> --
> Zachery Hostens <zacheryph-Re5JQEeQqe8AvxtiuMwx3w@public.gmane.org>
> _______________________________________________
> Rails mailing list
> Rails-1W37MKcQCpIf0INCOvqR/iCwEArCW2h5@public.gmane.org
> http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails
> 

-- 
Brock Weaver
[OBC]Technique

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On Aug 23, 2005, at 2:22 AM, Nicholas Seckar wrote:
> Brock Weaver wrote:
>
>> <% for item in @items
>>   product = item.product
>> -%>
>> <div><%= item.quantity %></div>
>> <% end -%>
>>
>
> This case is best handled by
>
> <%= @items.collect {|item| content_tag ''div'',
item.quantity} %>
This wins, it''s elegant and a great example of the power of
Ruby''s
methods like Enumerable#collect and Rails'' helpers like content_tag.   
+1!

George
- --
George Hotelling                  GPG: 0x8175D485 ]
http://george.hotelling.net                       ]
     _         _    _      ___      _         _   _/


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On 8/23/05, George Hotelling
<george-s1Z0Dg4i37rMFIMGWPqnnw@public.gmane.org>
wrote:
> 
> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
> Hash: SHA1
> 
> On Aug 23, 2005, at 2:22 AM, Nicholas Seckar wrote:
> 
> > Brock Weaver wrote:
> >
> >> <% for item in @items
> >> product = item.product
> >> -%>
> >> <div><%= item.quantity %></div>
> >> <% end -%>
> >>
> >
> > This case is best handled by
> >
> > <%= @items.collect {|item| content_tag ''div'',
item.quantity} %>
> 
> This wins, it''s elegant and a great example of the power of
Ruby''s
> methods like Enumerable#collect and Rails'' helpers like
content_tag.
> +1!

However, this is not readable as 

 <% for item in @items
product = item.product
%>
<div><%= item.quantity %></div>
<% end -%>

Using more abstract functions like that will increases the learning curve 
for others. In a collaborative development environment, I would prefer less 
helpers and more HTML code, especially in this case, where typing 
content_tag ''div'' is not a lot less typing than
<div></div>


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David Zhao wrote:
> However, this is not readable as 
> 
>  <% for item in @items
> product = item.product
> %>
> <div><%= item.quantity %></div>
> <% end -%>
Just a slight off-topic code-fascist tip here (aimed at the original poster), 
from the HTML perspective.

Div tags have no real meaning - they are simply containers.  Chances are 
there''s a more meaningful HTML tag you should use.

I hope you occasionally test your stuff text only?  If not, it''s a good
habit
to get into - either disable stylesheets completely (simple in Firefox using 
the Web Developer Toolbar), or use something like the Lynx or Links text-only 
browser.  It will really open your eyes about the quality of your code.

The reason I''m mentioning this is that I never directly put text in a
div,
only other items such as <h1>, <p> or <ul>, so that''s
what set the alarm bells
ringing, since it sounds like you''re building some slightly meaningless
markup.

Aside from better accessibility, the added bonus to sites that have semantic 
meaning when viewed text-only is that search engines are also basically 
text-only.  I''m not saying it helps a lot, but since you have no reason
not to
add meaning to the raw code of your page where possible, it can only be a good 
thing to seize the chance to do it.

Otherwise, we might as well just succumb to a major case of "divitus",
put
everything in divs, and do away with all those other pesky tags.  ;-)

If you care about making good code, use <div> and <span> sparingly
and with
caution, and always question yourself about why you really need to use them.

No offense intended, and apologies if I''m preaching to the converted. 
:-)

~Dave

-- 

Dave Silvester
Rent-A-Monkey Website Development
Web: http://www.rentamonkey.com/

I agree with your thoughts on HTML -- there are too many bad practices
in use today.  The example I originally posted was a contrived one to
express my problem as simply as possible.

I am a bit on the flipside as far as <div> and <span> go.  To me,
<table> is the most abused tag out there -- I would guess that *most*
sites use it in one form or another to provide their primary layout of
every page.  <div> and <span> are better suited for this (ala CSS).

While they are not typically the best for raw text (like you said),
they do offer the benefit of no default styling applied aside from
display:block or display:inline.  <ul>, <p>, <h1> etc all have
a
default styling which you must either accept or override.  So you
could argue it either way I suppose.

But in the long run, if it is valid XHTML, displays fine in Firefox,
and doesn''t look that bad in IE, that''s good enough for me.


On 8/24/05, Dave Silvester <dave-AJqNGCqIqVQ7cdpDWioORw@public.gmane.org>
wrote:
> David Zhao wrote:
> > However, this is not readable as
> >
> >  <% for item in @items
> > product = item.product
> > %>
> > <div><%= item.quantity %></div>
> > <% end -%>
> 
> Just a slight off-topic code-fascist tip here (aimed at the original
poster),
> from the HTML perspective.
> 
> Div tags have no real meaning - they are simply containers.  Chances are
> there''s a more meaningful HTML tag you should use.
> 
> I hope you occasionally test your stuff text only?  If not, it''s a
good habit
> to get into - either disable stylesheets completely (simple in Firefox
using
> the Web Developer Toolbar), or use something like the Lynx or Links
text-only
> browser.  It will really open your eyes about the quality of your code.
> 
> The reason I''m mentioning this is that I never directly put text
in a div,
> only other items such as <h1>, <p> or <ul>, so
that''s what set the alarm bells
> ringing, since it sounds like you''re building some slightly
meaningless markup.
> 
> Aside from better accessibility, the added bonus to sites that have
semantic
> meaning when viewed text-only is that search engines are also basically
> text-only.  I''m not saying it helps a lot, but since you have no
reason not to
> add meaning to the raw code of your page where possible, it can only be a
good
> thing to seize the chance to do it.
> 
> Otherwise, we might as well just succumb to a major case of
"divitus", put
> everything in divs, and do away with all those other pesky tags.  ;-)
> 
> If you care about making good code, use <div> and <span>
sparingly and with
> caution, and always question yourself about why you really need to use
them.
> 
> No offense intended, and apologies if I''m preaching to the
converted.  :-)
> 
> ~Dave
> 
> --
> 
> Dave Silvester
> Rent-A-Monkey Website Development
> Web: http://www.rentamonkey.com/
> _______________________________________________
> Rails mailing list
> Rails-1W37MKcQCpIf0INCOvqR/iCwEArCW2h5@public.gmane.org
> http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails
> 

-- 
Brock Weaver
[OBC]Technique

Brock,

On 24.8.2005, at 17.05, Brock Weaver wrote:
> I agree with your thoughts on HTML -- there are too many bad practices
> in use today.  The example I originally posted was a contrived one to
> express my problem as simply as possible.
>
> I am a bit on the flipside as far as <div> and <span> go.  To
me,
> <table> is the most abused tag out there -- I would guess that *most*
> sites use it in one form or another to provide their primary layout of
> every page.  <div> and <span> are better suited for this (ala
CSS).
>
> While they are not typically the best for raw text (like you said),
> they do offer the benefit of no default styling applied aside from
> display:block or display:inline.  <ul>, <p>, <h1> etc all
have a
> default styling which you must either accept or override.
But that is exactly the problem with divs and spans: they don''t mean  
anything. Of course you have to override the default styling in most  
cases but you have to do some styling with divs, too. If the default  
styling is your concern, consider trying Tantek Celik''s undo html css  
script [1] that pretty much resets all default formatting. Anyway,  
avoiding default formatting is a _bad reason_ for abandoning semantic  
and meaningful markup.

Don''t get me wrong: div is an essential element in laying out  
standards-compliant websites. However, it should never be used  
instead of more meaningful elements like lists or headings where they  
are due.

//jarkko

[1] http://www.meyerweb.com/eric/thoughts/2004/09/15/emreallyem- 
undoing-htmlcss/

--
Jarkko Laine
http://jlaine.net
http://odesign.fi




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