module ActionView # There's also a convenience method for rendering sub templates within the current controller that depends on a single object # (we call this kind of sub templates for partials). It relies on the fact that partials should follow the naming convention of being # prefixed with an underscore -- as to separate them from regular templates that could be rendered on their own. # # In a template for Advertiser#account: # # <%= render :partial => "account" %> # # This would render "advertiser/_account.erb" and pass the instance variable @account in as a local variable +account+ to # the template for display. # # In another template for Advertiser#buy, we could have: # # <%= render :partial => "account", :locals => { :account => @buyer } %> # # <% for ad in @advertisements %> # <%= render :partial => "ad", :locals => { :ad => ad } %> # <% end %> # # This would first render "advertiser/_account.erb" with @buyer passed in as the local variable +account+, then render # "advertiser/_ad.erb" and pass the local variable +ad+ to the template for display. # # == Rendering a collection of partials # # The example of partial use describes a familiar pattern where a template needs to iterate over an array and render a sub # template for each of the elements. This pattern has been implemented as a single method that accepts an array and renders # a partial by the same name as the elements contained within. So the three-lined example in "Using partials" can be rewritten # with a single line: # # <%= render :partial => "ad", :collection => @advertisements %> # # This will render "advertiser/_ad.erb" and pass the local variable +ad+ to the template for display. An iteration counter # will automatically be made available to the template with a name of the form +partial_name_counter+. In the case of the # example above, the template would be fed +ad_counter+. # # NOTE: Due to backwards compatibility concerns, the collection can't be one of hashes. Normally you'd also just keep domain objects, # like Active Records, in there. # # == Rendering shared partials # # Two controllers can share a set of partials and render them like this: # # <%= render :partial => "advertisement/ad", :locals => { :ad => @advertisement } %> # # This will render the partial "advertisement/_ad.erb" regardless of which controller this is being called from. # # == Rendering partials with layouts # # Partials can have their own layouts applied to them. These layouts are different than the ones that are specified globally # for the entire action, but they work in a similar fashion. Imagine a list with two types of users: # # <%# app/views/users/index.html.erb &> # Here's the administrator: # <%= render :partial => "user", :layout => "administrator", :locals => { :user => administrator } %> # # Here's the editor: # <%= render :partial => "user", :layout => "editor", :locals => { :user => editor } %> # # <%# app/views/users/_user.html.erb &> # Name: <%= user.name %> # # <%# app/views/users/_administrator.html.erb &> #