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So, I’ve been working on distilling an HTML maker library for beginners. Like the popup builder in the new Try Ruby. And, as I’m using it, I think something like this could be a serious contender to erb.

Here’s a scrappy initial stab at the library: webpage.rb. (Requires Builder and RedCloth.) And here’s what RedHanded’s template would roughly look like: webpage-test.rb.

Even though this is a layer on top of Builder, it’s supposed to understand common use of HTML and shortcut here and there.

• No head or body tags. Once you start using divs or headings or paragraphs, you’re in bodyland.
• The div method takes ids and classes in CSS notation. (div('.sidebarBox') { p 'Built upon <4>>Hobix' })
• Designed to generate XHTML 1.0 Strict. Adds the doctype, xml instruction, etc.
• RedCloth can be used in the headers, paragraphs, spans.

Any other ideas for making this thing easier? Stuff like changing method names to be friendlier. Adding other shortcuts. Some built-in CSS layouts perhaps?