# Partials in layouts? **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [September 8, 2009, 1:27pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/partials-in-layouts/175123 "2009-09-08T13:27:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dudebot](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/e495f1/32.png) [@Dudebot](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Dudebot)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 1:27pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/partials-in-layouts/175123/1 "2009-09-08T13:27:08Z")
Hi Gurus, how do I include a partial in my main layout? In views/layouts/application.html.erb I have ` ... <%= render :partial => 'navbar_tabs' %> ... ` No matter where I put \_navbar\_tabs.html.erb (or renamed it to \_navbar\_tabs.erb in desperation) I get the error Showing app/views/layouts/application.html.erb where line #20 raised: Missing template messages/\_navbar\_tabs.erb in view path app/views Can you help? TIA, Craig ---
**Author:** ![Dudebot](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/e495f1/32.png) [@Dudebot](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Dudebot)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 2:25pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/partials-in-layouts/175123/2 "2009-09-08T14:25:05Z")
Try giving the whole path in render like this: \<%= render :partial =\> ‘/messages/navbar\_tabs’ %\> # if your partial is in messages directory. Let us know if this does not work. Thanks, Abhinav – अभिनव [http://twitter.com/abhinav](http://twitter.com/abhinav) ---
**Author:** ![Dudebot](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/e495f1/32.png) [@Dudebot](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Dudebot)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 3:32pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/partials-in-layouts/175123/3 "2009-09-08T15:32:24Z")
Thanks– \<%= render :partial =\> ‘layouts/navbar\_tabs’ %\> works. Seems kind of ugly, though–even in layouts, shouldn’t a form look in its own directory for a partial? Anyway, thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Dudebot](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/e495f1/32.png) [@Dudebot](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Dudebot)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 4:27pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/partials-in-layouts/175123/4 "2009-09-08T16:27:25Z")
Seems surprising to me as well. ## Thanks, Abhinav अभिनव [http://twitter.com/abhinav](http://twitter.com/abhinav) ---
**Author:** ![Dudebot](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/e495f1/32.png) [@Dudebot](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Dudebot)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 4:57pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/partials-in-layouts/175123/5 "2009-09-08T16:57:52Z")
2009/9/8 Dudebot [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid): > No matter where I put \_navbar\_tabs.html.erb (or renamed it to > \_navbar\_tabs.erb in desperation) I get the error > > Showing app/views/layouts/application.html.erb where line #20 raised: > > Missing template messages/\_navbar\_tabs.erb in view path app/views What happens if you name it \_navbar\_tabs.html.erb and put in in views/messages? Colin ---
**Author:** ![Dudebot](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/e495f1/32.png) [@Dudebot](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Dudebot)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 9:24pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/partials-in-layouts/175123/6 "2009-09-08T21:24:13Z")
By convention, any partials that are loaded by “application.html.erb” are loaded by all controllers in the application. That being the case, when rendering app-\>messages-\>index: The app…erb line will read "\<%= render :partial =\> ‘layouts/ app\_wide\_partial’ %\> The partial will be found in views/layouts/ \_app\_wide\_partial.html.erb When the line in app…erb is reached that reads “\<%= yield %\>” The file “views/messages/index.html.erb” is rendered And you have a file views/layouts/application.html.erb that calls “\<%= render :partial =\> ‘navbar\_tabs’ %\>” Rails will look for the partial named: views/messages/ \_navbar\_tabs.html.erb It is customary practice to follow the convention “… :partial =\> ‘directory/partial’ %\>” just so there is no confusion. Thus, if you had additional message related tabs, you would include in views/ messages/index.html.erb: \<%= render :partial =\> ‘messages/ msg\_navbar\_tabs’ %\> ---
**Author:** ![Dudebot](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/e495f1/32.png) [@Dudebot](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Dudebot)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 8:58pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/partials-in-layouts/175123/7 "2009-09-08T20:58:28Z")
On Tue, Sep 8, 2009 at 6:30 AM, Dudebot [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > Thanks– > > \<%= render :partial =\> ‘layouts/navbar\_tabs’ %\> > > works. Seems kind of ugly, though–even in layouts, shouldn’t a form > look in its own directory for a partial? If you’re using the partial in the layout, it means the partial will be displayed on every page of the site by default. Is this the case? -Conrad ---
**Author:** ![Dudebot](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/e495f1/32.png) [@Dudebot](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Dudebot)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 9:32pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/partials-in-layouts/175123/8 "2009-09-08T21:32:24Z")
> works. Seems kind of ugly, though–even in layouts, shouldn’t a form > look in its own directory for a partial? It does, you’re just misunderstanding what “its own directory” refers to. Your form is not a part of “layouts,” it’s a part of the controller rendering it.