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**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [March 20, 2006, 9:23pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rhtml-templates-and-syntax/55403 "2006-03-20T21:23:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1
**Author:**  [@kronidas](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/kronidas)\
**Post date:** [March 20, 2006, 9:23pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rhtml-templates-and-syntax/55403/1 "2006-03-20T21:23:47Z")
Hello,
where do we need \<% -%\> in templates ? What is the difference between
\<%= %\> and it ?
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**Author:**  [@kronidas](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/kronidas)\
**Post date:** [March 20, 2006, 9:31pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rhtml-templates-and-syntax/55403/2 "2006-03-20T21:31:57Z")
\<%= %\> will execute the contained ruby and inject the result into the
document.
\<% %\> will execute the contained ruby, but will NOT inject anything
into the document (other than a blank line) … hence …
\<% -%\> will execute the contained ruby and will not inject anything
into the document (not even a blank line).
-Derrick S.
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**Author:**  [@kronidas](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/kronidas)\
**Post date:** [March 20, 2006, 9:35pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rhtml-templates-and-syntax/55403/3 "2006-03-20T21:35:34Z")
Derrick S. wrote:
> \<%= %\> will execute the contained ruby and inject the result into the
> document.
>
> \<% %\> will execute the contained ruby, but will NOT inject anything
> into the document (other than a blank line) … hence …
>
> \<% -%\> will execute the contained ruby and will not inject anything
> into the document (not even a blank line).
>
> -Derrick S.
Thank You, Derrick!
🙂
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**Author:**  [@kronidas](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/kronidas)\
**Post date:** [March 20, 2006, 11:18pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rhtml-templates-and-syntax/55403/4 "2006-03-20T23:18:55Z")
You can also use - with the include. I.e.
\<%= “blah” -%\>
This will inject “blah” into the output, but will not create a new line.
This is useful when you’re pulling data into something that is
surrounded by quotes (like an HREF) where you don’t want the newlines
and want to maintain readability.