# Remote Layout **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [June 27, 2010, 6:54pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/remote-layout/190779 "2010-06-27T18:54:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![djames](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@djames](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/djames)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2010, 6:54pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/remote-layout/190779/1 "2010-06-27T18:54:07Z")
I have a wild idea that it might be nice to be able to host a layout on one or more foreign hosts. That way each host could then use their own layout to provide navigation and configure CSS stylings applicable to the underlying content. It remotely resembles something like frames. Generally, whenever I have a wild idea like this it’s best for me to take 2 aspirin and go lie down a while until it passes. Sometimes it can mean that I’m taking the wrong approach and the objective can better be handled some other way. So, my questions run along these lines: 1) Does this idea seem to have any merit? 2) Are there better ways to skin this cat? 3) Has anyone done anything like this; and, if so can you please give me any implementation details that I should know. TIA. ``` ... doug ``` ---
**Author:** ![djames](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@djames](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/djames)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2010, 7:17pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/remote-layout/190779/2 "2010-06-27T19:17:28Z")
Doug J. wrote: > I have a wild idea that it might be nice to be able to host a layout > on one or more foreign hosts. That way each host could then use their > own layout to provide navigation and configure CSS stylings applicable > to the underlying content. It remotely resembles something like > frames. This doesn’t sound like a good idea from what I can tell, but your explanation isn’t so clear that I have any certainty that I know what you mean. Please elaborate. ---
**Author:** ![djames](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@djames](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/djames)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2010, 8:40pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/remote-layout/190779/3 "2010-06-27T20:40:06Z")
> Please elaborate. I was thinking of a given web page as being composed of 2 parts: (1) The substantive content; and, (2) a wrapper (the layout) which surrounds the substantive content and provides (among other things) the navigation and a style sheet affecting the styling of the substantive content. Now suppose that other web sites exist that would like to include the substantive content on their site by linking to it; but, these sites would like to have the substantive content included within their own wrapper (layout) so that they could control the navigation and stylings. I was then thinking that suppose that these other web sites could post a layout on their site and then pass a reference to the URL to that layout as a parameter to the link to the substantive content. In such a case, that layout would then be used instead of the default layout on the site that hosts the substantive content. Is that any more clear? I know that it’s wild. I just wanted to see how wild and see if anyone else had been crazy enough to think about such a thing. Thanks for the input. ``` ... doug ``` ---
**Author:** ![djames](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@djames](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/djames)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2010, 10:01pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/remote-layout/190779/4 "2010-06-27T22:01:28Z")
By way of clarification, please allow me to make one additional point. Another way of accomplishing what I’m trying to accomplish would be through the use of an inline frame. That might well be the best way to skin this cat. I just have this thing about frames (ugh). I was hoping that I might be able to come up with something a bit more clever. Maybe not. Thanks. ``` ... doug ``` ---
**Author:** ![djames](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@djames](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/djames)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2010, 12:26am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/remote-layout/190779/5 "2010-06-28T00:26:03Z")
On Sun, Jun 27, 2010 at 11:38 AM, doug [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > I was thinking of a given web page as being composed of 2 parts: (1) > The substantive content; and, (2) a wrapper (the layout) which > surrounds the substantive content and provides (among other things) > the navigation and a style sheet affecting the styling of the > substantive content. Now suppose that other web sites exist that > would like to include the substantive content on their site by linking > to it; but, these sites would like to have the substantive content > included within their own wrapper (layout) so that they could control > the navigation and stylings. Overall, I think it would be both easier and more effective for such sites to just retrieve the substantive content through a web service interface and embed it into their own layout. But what the hey – develop a prototype and send it out to play 🙂 – Hassan S. ------------------------ removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid twitter: @hassan ---
**Author:** ![djames](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@djames](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/djames)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2010, 1:21am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/remote-layout/190779/6 "2010-06-28T01:21:39Z")
> Overall, I think it would be both easier and more effective for such > sites to just retrieve the substantive content through a web service > interface and embed it into their own layout. For substantive content that is static I would definitely agree with you. However, the substantive content that I am referring to is interactive. It would be much easier for others to just link to it. I’m just trying to offer an easy way for them to sort of brand it as their own. It would be ideal if they could have their own layout. I’m just not real sure how practical that is. > But what the hey – develop a prototype and send it out to play 🙂 I’m thinking about it. It is, however, helpful to know whether others think that I’m totally nuts before I invest a lot of time in it. Thanks for the input. ``` ... doug ```