render partial :object vs :locals

The second form

render :partial => 'account', :object => @some_account

will make sure the account variable in the partial will be set to @some_account.
You can rename the variable using the :as option.

The biggest advantage of the :locals is that

• you have very clear control over the objects and names
• you can assign more than 1 variable

So you could do something like

render partial => 'some_view', :locals => { :user => account.user, :details => some_details_we_retrieved }

making a clear seperation possible when needed.

The disadvantage of the :locals approach is that it is more verbose, and sometimes a simple

render :partial => 'account'

is identical to

render :partial => 'account', :locals => {:account => @account }

So use the one which suits you the best (or where it suits the best).