# Using here documents in views

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/using-here-documents-in-views/69613>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [September 22, 2006, 12:18pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/using-here-documents-in-views/69613 "2006-09-22T12:18:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![mankeyrabbit](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/58956e/32.png) [@mankeyrabbit](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/mankeyrabbit)\
**Post date:** [September 22, 2006, 12:18pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/using-here-documents-in-views/69613/1 "2006-09-22T12:18:52Z")

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I’m trying to use a here document to define a multiple-line string in a  
.rhtml file.  
I keep getting compile errors- “the specified string (by identifier)  
could not be found before EOF”

I’m trying:

\<% my\_str = \<\<MY\_END  
text  
MY\_END %\>

I’ve also tried in seperate ERb blocks

\<% my\_str = \<\<MY\_END %\>  
text  
\<% MY\_END %\>

Same problem. Is there a simple thing I need to do?

Thanks a lot.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mankeyrabbit](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/58956e/32.png) [@mankeyrabbit](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/mankeyrabbit)\
**Post date:** [September 22, 2006, 12:40pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/using-here-documents-in-views/69613/2 "2006-09-22T12:40:54Z")

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Hi –

On Fri, 22 Sep 2006, mankeyrabbit wrote:

> MY\_END %\>
> 
> I’ve also tried in seperate ERb blocks
> 
> \<% my\_str = \<\<MY\_END %\>  
> text  
> \<% MY\_END %\>
> 
> Same problem. Is there a simple thing I need to do?

Try this:

\<% my\_str = \<\<MY\_END  
text  
MY\_END  
%\>

David

–  
David A. Black | removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid  
Author of “Ruby for Rails” [1] | Ruby/Rails training & consultancy [3]  
DABlog (DAB’s Weblog) [2] | Co-director, Ruby Central, Inc. [4]  
[1] [Ruby for Rails](http://www.manning.com/black) | [3] [http://www.rubypowerandlight.com](http://www.rubypowerandlight.com)  
[2] [http://dablog.rubypal.com](http://dablog.rubypal.com) | [4] [http://www.rubycentral.org](http://www.rubycentral.org)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mankeyrabbit](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/58956e/32.png) [@mankeyrabbit](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/mankeyrabbit)\
**Post date:** [September 22, 2006, 4:49pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/using-here-documents-in-views/69613/3 "2006-09-22T16:49:35Z")

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sorted! thank you!