# image file URL generated by image\_tag include some parameter

**URL:** <https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/t/image-file-url-generated-by-image-tag-include-some-parameter/10730>\
**Category:** rubyonrails-talk\
**Created:** [March 24, 2007, 2:40pm UTC](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/t/image-file-url-generated-by-image-tag-include-some-parameter/10730 "2007-03-24T14:40:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Jung-joon\_Kim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecae2f/32.png) [@Jung-joon\_Kim](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/u/Jung-joon_Kim)\
**Post date:** [March 24, 2007, 2:40pm UTC](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/t/image-file-url-generated-by-image-tag-include-some-parameter/10730/1 "2007-03-24T14:40:20Z")

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I'm using image\_tag to generate img tag.

URL of image file generated by image\_tag include a parameter like following.

"http:// ..... /images/filename.gif?123123123"

What's this number parameter for? How can I remove it? I'm using rails with built-in WEBrick server in test mode.

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**Author:** ![Zack\_Chandler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a698b9/32.png) [@Zack\_Chandler](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/u/Zack_Chandler)\
**Post date:** [March 24, 2007, 3:17pm UTC](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/t/image-file-url-generated-by-image-tag-include-some-parameter/10730/2 "2007-03-24T15:17:56Z")

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It's a timestamp that is automatically generated by the image\_tag() helper. This forces browsers to download the latest image if updated.

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**Author:** ![Jung-joon\_Kim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecae2f/32.png) [@Jung-joon\_Kim](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/u/Jung-joon_Kim)\
**Post date:** [March 24, 2007, 4:01pm UTC](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/t/image-file-url-generated-by-image-tag-include-some-parameter/10730/3 "2007-03-24T16:01:20Z")

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Can I remove it?

Some clients with old browser complain browser can't display images htmlized with image\_tag method. (But I didn't see the situation in person, and not sure about a cause)

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**Author:** ![Zack\_Chandler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a698b9/32.png) [@Zack\_Chandler](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/u/Zack_Chandler)\
**Post date:** [March 24, 2007, 5:19pm UTC](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/t/image-file-url-generated-by-image-tag-include-some-parameter/10730/4 "2007-03-24T17:19:24Z")

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Wow - that must be a pretty old browser...

Just use an img html tag or override the image\_tag() helper.

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**Author:** ![Jung-joon\_Kim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecae2f/32.png) [@Jung-joon\_Kim](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/u/Jung-joon_Kim)\
**Post date:** [March 27, 2007, 12:41am UTC](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/t/image-file-url-generated-by-image-tag-include-some-parameter/10730/5 "2007-03-27T00:41:41Z")

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[http://hypsometry.com/blog/on-browser-caching-asset-timestamping-and-rails](http://hypsometry.com/blog/on-browser-caching-asset-timestamping-and-rails)

the point is ... Environment varible RAILS\_ASSET\_ID changes behavior of rails URL processing.
