slim

Lightweight Ruby HTML template compiler

TLDR

Convert a Slim template to HTML

$ slimrb [input.slim]

Read Slim from stdin and output HTML

$ echo "[h1 Hello]" | slimrb -s

Convert Slim to ERB format

$ slimrb -e [input.slim]

Output pretty-printed HTML for debugging

$ slimrb -p [input.slim]

Compile to Ruby code without executing

$ slimrb -c [input.slim]

Generate Rails-compatible code

$ slimrb --rails [input.slim]

Pass local variables to the template

$ slimrb -l "{name: 'World'}" [input.slim]

Load a Ruby library before processing

$ slimrb -r [library] [input.slim]

slimrb is the command-line tool for the Slim template language. Slim is a lightweight Ruby templating engine that reduces HTML syntax to essential parts while maintaining readability. It uses indentation for nesting, eliminating the need for closing tags.Slim syntax is concise: div.container becomes \<div class="container"\>, and h1= title outputs the value of title in an h1 tag. Attributes use parentheses: a(href=url) Link.The tool can render templates to HTML, convert them to ERB for use in other contexts, or compile them to raw Ruby code for inspection. The --pretty option is useful for debugging, producing formatted HTML output.Slim integrates with Rails, Sinatra, and any Rack-based framework through Tilt. It is one of the fastest Ruby template engines, comparable to Erubis in production mode.

PARAMETERS

-s, --stdin

Read input from standard input instead of a file

-c, --compile

Compile template to Ruby code without executing

-e, --erb

Convert Slim template to ERB format

--rails

Generate Rails-compatible code (implies --compile)

-p, --pretty

Output pretty-printed HTML with indentation

-r, --require library

Load a Ruby library or Slim plugin before processing

-o, --option name=code

Set Slim engine options

-l, --locals Hash|YAML|JSON

Pass local variables to the template

--trace

Show full traceback on errors

-v, --version

Display version information

-h, --help

Show help message

INSTALL

sudo apt install slim

sudo dnf install slim

sudo pacman -S slim

sudo apk add slim

sudo zypper install slim

CAVEATS

Slim requires Ruby to be installed. Template syntax is whitespace-sensitive; mixing tabs and spaces can cause unexpected results. Some advanced Ruby expressions may need explicit output markers.

HISTORY

Slim was created by Andrew Stone, Fred Wu, and Daniel Mendler around 2010 as a cleaner alternative to ERB and Haml. The project aimed to provide minimal syntax while maintaining full Ruby integration. It uses the Temple framework for parsing and compilation.