ERB File – What is .erb file and how to open it?

ERB Files: A Template Scripting Language

ERB (Embedded Ruby) files are text files that utilize the Embedded Ruby templating language. They combine the power of Ruby code with the simplicity of HTML, allowing developers to create dynamic web pages and other text-based documents. ERB files are commonly used in web application development frameworks such as Ruby on Rails.

Within ERB files, Ruby code is embedded using special delimiters, typically <% and %>. This code can perform various tasks, such as accessing data, manipulating variables, and controlling the output. The Ruby code is executed at runtime, generating the final output document. ERB files provide a convenient way to separate presentation logic from programming logic, making it easier to maintain and update web applications.

Opening ERB Files with a Text Editor

ERB files (Ruby ERB Script) are plain text files that contain Ruby code embedded within Embedded Ruby (ERB) tags. The primary method to open ERB files is through a text editor that supports programming languages. Popular text editors used for opening ERB files include:

• Visual Studio Code (VS Code): A popular open-source code editor with extensions for multiple programming languages, including Ruby and ERB.
• Sublime Text: A widely used text editor known for its customization and advanced editing features, which can enhance the viewing and editing of ERB files.
• Atom: A cross-platform text editor developed by GitHub, which offers a range of plugins and themes tailored for different programming languages, including ERB.

Interpreting and Executing ERB Files with Ruby

To execute and interpret ERB files, you must have Ruby installed on your system. Once Ruby is installed, you can use the ERB template engine to evaluate the embedded Ruby code. The following command can be used to render the ERB file:


erb <erb_file_name>


This command will replace the ERB tags with the result of the evaluated Ruby code, producing a new file without the ERB tags. Alternatively, you can use the ERB.new class to manually instantiate an ERB object, allowing for more control over the rendering process.

Definition and Purpose of ERB Files

Embedded Ruby (ERB) files are Ruby scripts that have been embedded within HTML code. They allow for the dynamic generation of HTML pages, where the Ruby code is used to generate or manipulate the HTML content. ERB files typically have the “.erb” extension and are often used in web development to create templates that can be rendered with specific data.

Syntax and Usage of ERB Files

ERB files are processed by the ERB interpreter, which evaluates the embedded Ruby code and replaces it with the corresponding HTML output. The Ruby code in ERB files is enclosed within special delimiters, such as “<%= %>” for output, “<% %>” for control flow, and “<%# %>” for comments. The output of the Ruby code is then inserted into the HTML document at the location of the delimiters. ERB files provide a convenient way to mix Ruby logic with HTML, enabling developers to create dynamic and data-driven web pages.

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