\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [November 9, 2006, 7:45am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ann-masterview-rails-optimized-x-html-friendly-template-e/75336 "2006-11-09T07:45:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1
**Author:**  [@jbell38](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jbell38)\
**Post date:** [November 9, 2006, 7:45am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ann-masterview-rails-optimized-x-html-friendly-template-e/75336/1 "2006-11-09T07:45:39Z")
MasterView is a rails-optimized (x)html friendly template engine plugin
that
provides another option to the existing rails view templates (rhtml and
rxml). The main idea is to provide a template engine that would provide
all
the power of layouts, partials, and rails helpers but still be
editable/styleable in a WYSIWYG editor. It was also a major goal that
the
syntax of these attribute directives be very similar to rails helpers so
that one could intuitively start using MasterView with little learning
curve
other than knowing rails. MasterView was inspired by Amrita, Kwartz,
Tapestry, Zope/PHP TAL, Liquid, and Web Objects but designed with a
fresh
approach and specifically targetted for rails users.
Release 0.3.0 was a major release for MasterView with an emphasis on
refactoring and simplifying the API for building directives. A DSL
syntax
was chosen to greatly simplify the creation of directives to both help
the
core team with directive development as to also enable developers to
create
their own custom directives easily. MasterView has been constructed to
allow
directives to be shared amongst the community and this refactoring will
enable custom development. To further enhance sharing and prevent
collisions, this release introduces custom namespaces to the directives
allowing users to create their own namespaces to prevent conflict.
Namespaces as well as many other metadata about directives can now be
configured at both the app-level and installation-level providing
flexibility.
\*\*UPGRADE CONSIDERATIONS: (for MasterView deployments that have created
custom directives)
default namespace of extensions directives changed from mv: to mvx:
(custom directive default namespace)
upgrade any user created custom directives to use new directive API
(see
release notes)
Video
A short video which demos the basic operation is available at
[demo\_short](http://masterview.org/videos/demo_short.html)[http://masterview.org/videos/masterview\_quick\_start.html](http://masterview.org/videos/masterview_quick_start.html)
Screenshots and illustrations
[http://masterview.org/media\_list.html](http://masterview.org/media_list.html)
MasterView is released under MIT open source licensing.
Main site: [http://masterview.org/](http://masterview.org/)
Rubyforge Project site: [http://rubyforge.org/projects/masterview](http://rubyforge.org/projects/masterview)
Goals
- Create/extend a template engine for rails that would be XHTML
friendly and thus could be edited/styled with a WYSIWYG HTML editor
even
late in development without breaking template.
- Keep it simple. DRY. No extra config files, simple syntax with ruby
flavor.
- Design it specifically for ruby and rails. Use the full power and
not be limited in its capabilities over what can be done with ERb
(rhtml)
- Work nicely with layouts, partials, and rails html helpers.
- Reduce complexity, work with existing rails code, no extra view
logic or hashes than what is used by ERb (rhtml). Scaffold generate
initial
templates or work from existing html prototype. Make scaffolds nicely
styled
and easily useable for production with minor changes.
- Reduce the numbers of files, simplifying editing. Define partials
and layouts naturallyl right in the template, no need to go to
another file.
- Preview in browser without running an app. Allow for dummy data in
the template so that the page can be viewed and styled independently
of the
application.
- Performance equal to ERb (rhtml)
Release Notes:
== Recent changes (Release 0.3.0 - Major update - refactoring of
directive
API (for developing directives)
The directive API for creating directives has been refactored and
simplified. This will enable directives to be developed more easily by
both
core developers and MasterView users. The end goal is to make it
extremely
simple for anyone to create their own custom directives and to share
those
with the community, and thus the project can live and grow into many
specialty areas. The directive API refactoring is one more step towards
those goals.
The old directive\_base.rb which provided the API for directives has been
deprecated and moved to deprecated/directive\_base.rb,
MasterViewdevelopers
which have developed custom directives should upgrade those directives
to
the new API as soon as possible. During the transition period one can
use
the original API by requiring the deprecated/directive\_base.rb file and
changing their directive to inherit from DirectiveBaseOld rather than
DirectiveBase.
== Recent changes (Release 0.2.5)
Fix AdminPage compatibility with Rails 1.1.5+ which uses safe\_load\_paths
to
find controllers
Fix rake mv:view\_rhtml RHTML=foo/\_bar.rhtml was not able to find
partials
Visit the online documentation page at [http://masterview.org/](http://masterview.org/) for
screenshots, illustrations, complete installation and usage information.
We would love to hear your feedback and ideas around this project! Visit
the
rubyforge project [http://rubyforge.org/projects/masterview](http://rubyforge.org/projects/masterview) to join the
users mailing list or to add yourself to the announce list to receive
future
announcements. Check out the
video[http://masterview.org/videos/demo\_short.html](http://masterview.org/videos/demo_short.html)to see MasterView
in action!
Thanks for your time!!
MasterView Development Team
Jeff B. and Deb Lewis
---
**Author:**  [@jbell38](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jbell38)\
**Post date:** [November 9, 2006, 9:52pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ann-masterview-rails-optimized-x-html-friendly-template-e/75336/2 "2006-11-09T21:52:26Z")
Oh man this makes me giddy!
Ta, Jeff and Deb for all your hard work.
## Ed
Ed Howland
> **[Green Programming](http://greenprogrammer.blogspot.com)**
>
> Environmentally safe code
---
**Author:**  [@jbell38](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jbell38)\
**Post date:** [November 12, 2006, 2:23pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ann-masterview-rails-optimized-x-html-friendly-template-e/75336/3 "2006-11-12T14:23:47Z")
Hi Jeff,
```
I have been trying to make MasterView works on my Rails
```
project. However, every time I issue a script/generate masterview
Product Store command, I always get the following:
* * *
## D:\aaa\>ruby script/generate masterview Product Store Initializing MasterView configuration (2006-11-12 21:10) Program name = script/generate dependency model exists app/models/ exists test/unit/ exists test/fixtures/ identical app/models/product.rb identical test/unit/product\_test.rb identical test/fixtures/products.yml exists app/controllers/ exists app/helpers/ create app/views/store exists public/stylesheets/masterview exists app/masterview exists app/masterview/extra exists test/functional/ create app/controllers/store\_controller.rb create test/functional/store\_controller\_test.rb create app/helpers/store\_helper.rb create store/destroy.html wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)
Note that generating the same command for scaffolding works as
D:\aaa\>ruby script/generate scaffold Product Store
I have the following masterview and rails version
D:\aaa\>gem list masterview
\*\*\* LOCAL GEMS \*\*\*
masterview (0.3.0)
A (x)html friendly template engine for rails with the power of
layouts, and partials.
masterview\_gem\_pack (0.3.0)
A (x)html friendly template engine for rails with the power of
layouts, and partials. This gem package includes the other
masterview gems for easy installation
masterview\_generator (0.3.0)
A (x)html friendly template engine for rails with the power of
layouts, and partials. MasterView Generator for creating templates
and scaffolding.
masterview\_plugin\_generator (0.3.0)
A (x)html friendly template engine for rails with the power of
layouts, and partials. MasterView Plugin Generator for GEM
D:\aaa\>rails -v
Rails 1.1.6
D:\aaa\>ruby -v
ruby 1.8.5 (2006-08-25) [i386-mswin32]
```
Am I using the wrong version of Rails, Ruby, or Masterview?
```
Or a wrong configuration? Please note that I did not make any changes
to the MasterView configuration file.
Thanks.
Zandro