# Generic page element display initializer in a layout? **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [July 13, 2006, 6:32pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/generic-page-element-display-initializer-in-a-layout/98298 "2006-07-13T18:32:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![weyus](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/w/7ab992/32.png) [@weyus](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/weyus)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2006, 6:32pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/generic-page-element-display-initializer-in-a-layout/98298/1 "2006-07-13T18:32:19Z")
All, I’ve run into a snag. I need to handle the display of elements on my page and I want to use my Javascript event handlers on page load. However, my BODY tag is trapped in my generic layout. I’m thinking that I can put an onLoad on the BODY tag that will just call a Javascript method called initializePage() and then provide this initializePage() call in my specific page to call whatever handlers I need to in order to display things correctly. Something in the back of my head is screaming AJAX but not sure how I would get that in. Any thoughts? Wes ---
**Author:** ![weyus](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/w/7ab992/32.png) [@weyus](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/weyus)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2006, 7:04pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/generic-page-element-display-initializer-in-a-layout/98298/2 "2006-07-13T19:04:13Z")
Wes G. wrote: > All, > > I’ve run into a snag. I need to handle the display of elements on my > page and I want to use my Javascript event handlers on page load. > > However, my BODY tag is trapped in my generic layout. > > I’m thinking that I can put an onLoad on the BODY tag that will just > call a Javascript method called initializePage() and then provide this > initializePage() call in my specific page to call whatever handlers I > need to in order to display things correctly. > > Something in the back of my head is screaming AJAX but not sure how I > would get that in. > > Any thoughts? > > Wes FYI, this kind of Javascript scheme will work, but I think I just need to make my template smarter, so I will do that instead. WG ---
**Author:** ![weyus](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/w/7ab992/32.png) [@weyus](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/weyus)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2006, 10:02pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/generic-page-element-display-initializer-in-a-layout/98298/3 "2006-07-13T22:02:46Z")
On Jul 13, 2006, at 10:04 AM, Wes G. wrote: > > this > > FYI, this kind of Javascript scheme will work, but I think I just need > > to make my template smarter, so I will do that instead. > > WG Wes- ``` You can also use the content_for method to push dynamic content ``` from your view up to the master layout. So in your normal view: \<% content\_for :javascript do %\> # blah blah more javascript \<% end %\> So in your layout: \<%= yield :javascript %\> -Ezra ---
**Author:** ![weyus](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/w/7ab992/32.png) [@weyus](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/weyus)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2006, 10:22pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/generic-page-element-display-initializer-in-a-layout/98298/4 "2006-07-13T22:22:22Z")
Ezra Z. wrote: > On Jul 13, 2006, at 10:04 AM, Wes G. wrote: > > > > this > > > FYI, this kind of Javascript scheme will work, but I think I just need > > > to make my template smarter, so I will do that instead. > > > > WG > > Wes- > > You can also use the content\_for method to push dynamic content > from your view up to the master layout. > > So in your normal view: > > \<% content\_for :javascript do %\> > > # blah blah more javascript \<% end %\> So in your layout: \<%= yield :javascript %\> -Ezra Whoa - so content\_for generates a block that can then be yielded to in any of the enclosing templates? WG ---
**Author:** ![weyus](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/w/7ab992/32.png) [@weyus](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/weyus)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2006, 11:52pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/generic-page-element-display-initializer-in-a-layout/98298/5 "2006-07-13T23:52:42Z")
On Jul 13, 2006, at 1:22 PM, Wes G. wrote: > > -Ezra > > Whoa - so content\_for generates a block that can then be yielded to in > any of the enclosing templates? > > WG Wes- ``` Yeah, pretty sweet way to push dynamic content up from the partials ``` or templates into the layout. This is a very powerfull feature once you start playing with it. Makes your layouts much more flexible and reuseable because your normal views can specialize the layout. Cheers- -Ezra ---
**Author:** ![weyus](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/w/7ab992/32.png) [@weyus](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/weyus)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2006, 11:56pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/generic-page-element-display-initializer-in-a-layout/98298/6 "2006-07-13T23:56:14Z")
Ezra Z. wrote: > On Jul 13, 2006, at 1:22 PM, Wes G. wrote: > > > > -Ezra > > > > Whoa - so content\_for generates a block that can then be yielded to in > > any of the enclosing templates? > > > > WG > > Wes- > > Yeah, pretty sweet way to push dynamic content up from the partials > or templates into the layout. This is a very powerfull feature once > you start playing with it. Makes your layouts much more flexible and > reuseable because your normal views can specialize the layout. > > Cheers- > -Ezra As I sometimes say when I get excited - that is f-in ballz! 🙂 WG