(Mis-) using the CGI module for (only) generating HTML output

Ruby
1

I would like to create a file containing HTML code. This is not part of
a web application, and in particular I am not writing a CGI script.

I could just create the HTML code (using puts(…) statements).

I could also use some HTML template (ERB,…)

I prefer however to use a library which just makes the HTML generation a
bit easier, for example by automatically closing open tags and so.
Things which the cgi module is doing.

However, since I am not in a “real” CGI environment, creating the output
object already has a specific meaning, i.e. running in “offline mode”.
If we try this in irb:

require ‘cgi’
irb(main):019:0> cgi=CGI.new(“html4”)
(offline mode: enter name=value pairs on standard input)

Question(s):

  • Is there a way I could use the cgi module for my task?
  • Are there other ways to solve this?
2

I’m not understanding what you need.

This script will create HTML based in what?
You’ll save this in DB or just prints on screen?
You want to generate a web page or print all html tags on page like
“View Page Source” ?

Could you give and example of what you already have?

3

I want to create a HTML file. I could do it simply like this (just an
simplified example to clarify the point):

....
# Assume that variables 'id' and 'a' have been set before

open('outfile.html','w') do |fh|
    puts <<EOS
.....

Example file generated for #{id}

    EOS list.each do |a| puts "
  • Item #{a[0]}
    • " end puts "" end

    You get the point? Now, while this works, I wanted to find an
    alternative, more convenient way to implement this. After looking around
    a bit, I found a posting where someone suggested to use the CGI class
    for such type of tasks. The cgi module takes care, for example, to
    automatically close opened tags. However, I don’t see how I can get a
    CGI object instantiated, when I’m not in a CGI context, so maybe it was
    a silly idea in the first place, using the cgi module for this task.
    Therefore, if you have other suggestions, please let me know.

4

Ronald F. wrote in post #1176683:

you need a html builder.
see :
http://erector.rubyforge.org/userguide.html

http://www.rubydoc.info/github/sparklemotion/nokogiri/Nokogiri/HTML/Builder

==> “Using Markaby as a Ruby class”

haml is also a good choice :

engine = Haml::Engine.new(“%p Haml code!”)
engine.render #=> “

Haml code!

\n”

5

Regis d’Aubarede wrote in post #1176703:

you need a html builder.
see :

[…]

Thanks a lot for providing all the links. This is exactly what I war
looking for!

Ronald