# Finding out template's filename in application layout file code? **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [March 10, 2009, 5:35pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/finding-out-templates-filename-in-application-layout-file-code/162508 "2009-03-10T17:35:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/casper_the_ghost)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 5:35pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/finding-out-templates-filename-in-application-layout-file-code/162508/1 "2009-03-10T17:35:33Z")
Hi, I would like to access the filename of the (main) template used for a request, and I would like to do so in the (main application) layout template. I know about @template, but @template.template.filename yields the filename of the application template file, not of the view template file. On the other hand, the filename is in @template somewhere - I can see it when I look at @template.inspect. I’m just too stupid to find out where exactly… And this is what I would like to accomplish, and by the way, I consider this a very basic function of a web framework: - I don’t use any Javascript generated by Rails. I don’t like Prototype, and I sure don’t like inline Javascript - I believe in separation of HTML and JS. - I load any JS files AT THE END of the HTML (bottom of application layout file) - I load jquery (or YUI, that’s the two JS-libs I like - jquery for smaller jobs, YUI for real applications rather than just some add-on code for a page), and then I add some page specific code. I have NO code inline, and I sure won’t let Rails insert any inline code, so as I said, I don’t use rails JS helpers or .rjs files. Ever. JS code remains 100% separate. - For page specific code I would like to use a file with the exact same name as the .html.erb view file, in the same directory. I don’t want to have the JS code inline in the view file. That’s bad not just because I want it all logically separated, but also because editors have a very hard time handling mixed HTML/CSS/JS code. Especially if it’s more than a few lines of code that means trouble. It is much better to have JS code in a separate file. - I would like my application layout template to look for .js files for the current view template file, and if present, insert them into the page (at the very bottom into a script section). The issue I have and ask about right here would be the same if I inserted a link to that JS file instead, but in order to avoid an additional HTTP download I prefer to insert the code. It is guarded by an onDOMReady event fired by the jquery or YUI library, which is loaded before that page specific code. What still prevents me from doing this is that I don’t know how to generically find out the name of the currently used view template inside the ruby code of the application template layout file, and I sure don’t want to have to set a variable in the controller for this purpose - I’m sure Rails has that info _somewhere_. Please help me locate it 🙂 Thanks! Michael ---
**Author:** ![casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/casper_the_ghost)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 6:04pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/finding-out-templates-filename-in-application-layout-file-code/162508/2 "2009-03-10T18:04:56Z")
Well, it seems @_first\_render.filename does the trick. Now, I’m just a little unsure about the "_" in front - usually that denotes the variable as “internal - don’t use”. Is there a “more official” way to access this information? On Mar 10, 5:34 pm, “removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid” ---
**Author:** ![casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/casper_the_ghost)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 11:23am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/finding-out-templates-filename-in-application-layout-file-code/162508/3 "2009-03-11T11:23:20Z")
(FYI - I consider this a vary basic setup for anyone using _proper_ Javascript, i.e. not inline code, something Rails generates unfortunately) Okay… so in Rails 2.3.1 (RC2) I cannot do it in the layout file alone any more. I have to remember the template name in (each) view in an instance variable, and then I can use that in the layout file. Details: somewhere in the view for which there exists an extra JS file: \<%- @view\_name=@\_render\_stack[0].template\_path -%\> Since this is again an “underscore variable” and undocumented onne cannot rely on it existing in the next Rails release, but I’m sure it will be fairly easy to find something similar then. In the layout file (the JS files have to be named “\_viewname.js”): \<%- unless @view\_name.blank? -%\> \<%= render @view\_name.gsub(/.html.erb\s\*$/,’’)+’.js’ %\> \<%- end -%\>