gistfile1.rb

# heredocs can continue the code on the same line:
class SomeController
  def render opts
    p opts
  end

  def setup; false; end

  def action_a
    ###
    #
    # render :status => 404, :text => <<-EOH and return unless setup
    #
    # The "and" in this statement implies that render will always return true.
    # We can remove the "and" keyword, maintain the flow of execution, and not
    # have to worry about the return value of "render":

    return render :status => 404, :text => <<-EOH unless setup
        article not found #{(['pew'] * 3).join ' '}<br/>
        I, as a server, have failed<br/>
        https?
        EOH

    puts "other things"
  end

  def action_b
    ###
    # Single quote here docs mean we explicitly do *not* want to interpolate:
    return render :status => 404, :text => <<-'EOH' unless setup
        article not found #{(['pew'] * 3).join ' '}<br/>
        I, as a server, have failed<br/>
        https?
        EOH
    puts "other things"
  end

  def action_c
    ###
    # Multiple heredocs on the same ine?
    render :text_a => <<-EOH, :text_b => <<-HOE
      hello
    EOH
      w0t?
    HOE
  end
end

sc = SomeController.new
sc.action_a
sc.action_b
sc.action_c