title: RUby on rails if else syntax confusion
body: <p>having trouble with the if else -- I am thinking it is a syntax issue but I can not seem to get it. I used the suggestions below and it is still throwing a 500 error. I do not know the exact error because there is a custom error message and "a 500" is the only technical information given. is there a debug mode that I can enable on the dev side that would provide additional information?</p>
  
  <p>What I am trying to do is display a drop down and allow for a selection if you are a "DSD" otherwise the drop down should be disabled, which is why I need the IF statement.</p>
  
  <p>Here is the current if statement that I am running:</p>
  
  <p><strong>Updated</strong></p>
  
  <pre><code>        &lt;% 
             if (sign_on.acctypw1.strip =="DS") 
                 select_tag(:distributor_number_X,  options_for_select(distributors_array), {:style =&gt; "width:400px", :disabled =&gt; "true"}) 
             else (sign_on.acctypw1.strip =="DSD")               
                 select_tag(:distributor_number_X, options_for_select(distributors_array), {:style =&gt; "width:400px" })
             end
          %&gt;
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>here is the error from the server log:</p>
  
  <pre><code>[Mon Mar 25 09:33:41 2013] [notice] caught SIGTERM, shutting down
  [ pid=8710 thr=77929640 file=utils.rb:176 time=2013-03-25 09:33:42.922 ]: *** Exception SignalException in PhusionPassenger::ClassicRails::ApplicationSpawner (SIGTERM) (process 8710, thread #&lt;Thread:0x94a3950&gt;):
  from /usr/local/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/passenger-3.0.1/lib/phusion_passenger/abstract_server.rb:343:in `select'
  from /usr/local/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/passenger-3.0.1/lib/phusion_passenger/abstract_server.rb:343:in `server_main_loop'
  from /usr/local/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/passenger-3.0.1/lib/phusion_passenger/abstract_server.rb:206:in `start_synchronously'
  from /usr/local/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/passenger-3.0.1/lib/phusion_passenger/abstract_server.rb:180:in `start'
  from /usr/local/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/passenger-3.0.1/lib/phusion_passenger/classic_rails/application_spawner.rb:149:in `start'
  from /usr/local/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/passenger-3.0.1/lib/phusion_passenger/spawn_manager.rb:219:in `block (2 levels) in spawn_rails_application'
  from /usr/local/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/passenger-3.0.1/lib/phusion_passenger/abstract_server_collection.rb:132:in `lookup_or_add'
  from /usr/local/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/passenger-3.0.1/lib/phusion_passenger/spawn_manager.rb:214:in `block in spawn_rails_application'
  from /usr/local/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/passenger-3.0.1/lib/phusion_passenger/abstract_server_collection.rb:82:in `block in synchronize'
  from &lt;internal:prelude&gt;:10:in `synchronize'
  from /usr/local/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/passenger-3.0.1/lib/phusion_passenger/abstract_server_collection.rb:79:in `synchronize'
  from /usr/local/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/passenger-3.0.1/lib/phusion_passenger/spawn_manager.rb:213:in `spawn_rails_application'
  from /usr/local/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/passenger-3.0.1/lib/phusion_passenger/spawn_manager.rb:132:in `spawn_application'
  from /usr/local/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/passenger-3.0.1/lib/phusion_passenger/spawn_manager.rb:275:in `handle_spawn_application'
  from /usr/local/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/passenger-3.0.1/lib/phusion_passenger/abstract_server.rb:357:in `server_main_loop'
  from /usr/local/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/passenger-3.0.1/lib/phusion_passenger/abstract_server.rb:206:in `start_synchronously'
  from /usr/local/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/passenger-3.0.1/helper-scripts/passenger-spawn-server:99:in `&lt;main&gt;'
  [Mon Mar 25 09:35:50 2013] [notice] Apache/2.2.14 (Ubuntu) Phusion_Passenger/3.0.1 configured -- resuming normal operations
   [Mon Mar 25 10:03:31 2013] [notice] caught SIGTERM, shutting down
   [Mon Mar 25 10:03:47 2013] [notice] Apache/2.2.14 (Ubuntu) Phusion_Passenger/3.0.1 configured -- resuming normal operations
  </code></pre>