# "\<%= %\>", "\<%- %\>" and "\<% -%\>"

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/and/177676>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [October 21, 2009, 9:21pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/and/177676 "2009-10-21T21:21:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![duke](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@duke](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/duke)\
**Post date:** [October 21, 2009, 9:21pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/and/177676/1 "2009-10-21T21:21:25Z")

</div>

When I want to show output,  
“\<%= %\>”  
When I do not want to show output,  
“\<%- %\>” or “\<% %\>”  
What about this?  
“\<% -%\>”  
Is this same as “\<%- %\>”?

-duke

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![duke](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@duke](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/duke)\
**Post date:** [October 21, 2009, 9:52pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/and/177676/2 "2009-10-21T21:52:52Z")

</div>

the hyphens suppress newlines. i’m not sure if the single versions are  
equal, but i double them up just out of habit: \<%- … -%\>

-eric

On Oct 21, 12:21 pm, Duke Y. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![duke](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@duke](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/duke)\
**Post date:** [October 21, 2009, 11:39pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/and/177676/3 "2009-10-21T23:39:23Z")

</div>

Duke Y. wrote:

> When I want to show output,  
> “\<%= %\>”  
> When I do not want to show output,  
> “\<%- %\>” or “\<% %\>”  
> What about this?  
> “\<% -%\>”  
> Is this same as “\<%- %\>”?

\<%# %\> or \<%# -%\>  
For commenting out ERB code.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![duke](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@duke](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/duke)\
**Post date:** [October 22, 2009, 4:40pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/and/177676/4 "2009-10-22T16:40:13Z")

</div>

Robert W. wrote:

> Duke Y. wrote:
> 
> > When I want to show output,  
> > “\<%= %\>”  
> > When I do not want to show output,  
> > “\<%- %\>” or “\<% %\>”  
> > What about this?  
> > “\<% -%\>”  
> > Is this same as “\<%- %\>”?
> 
> \<%# %\> or \<%# -%\>  
> For commenting out ERB code.

I’m seeing code,  
\<% if flash[:error] -%\>  
\<%= flash[:error] %\>  
\<% end -%\>  
It works fine.