Plugins - ErbBuffer
Add to favoritesCollecting ERB's output isn't supposed to be done, since it operates differently that a typical 'template' engine. Through a very simple view stack, this plugin will let you collect chunks of ERB in your templates for use later. It will also let you have deeply nested templates.
http://www.ahgsoftware.com/pages/erb_buffer
svn://ahgsoftware.com/erb_buffer/trunk
OpenSource
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I mention it in my blog, but I felt the same way. The only issue I had with it, at first, is that 'capture' introduces many scoping problems that confound the average user (including myself). Also, I couldn't code or find a solution that allowed deep-nesting of captures.
Re: ugly syntax, I certainly value your opinion, but, the next step to make it 'Railsy' would be to make a one-size-fits-all solution for the scope-binding, which would just make the usage look like..
@contents = start_buffering do stuff end
to allow a proper closure, but, as for the implementation code, its utilizes a stack, and Ruby makes working with a stack as easy as 3 lines. Using the builtin string methods makes the nesting process rather small an elegant but not quite perl one-linerish, If you have a better way, I'd love to implement it and give you credit, since people are downloading it like crazy for some reason!
Agreed. I had the very same feeling: 'capture' would do the trick. Also, the syntax looks quite ugly and unRails-ish.
Maybe i'm missing something, can't this be accomplished easier with 'capture'?