Rails plugin: Expanded helpers section

3 files changed, 52 insertions, 62 deletions

diff --git a/railties/doc/guides/source/creating_plugins/helpers.txt b/railties/doc/guides/source/creating_plugins/helpers.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..51b4cebb01
--- /dev/null
+++ b/railties/doc/guides/source/creating_plugins/helpers.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+== Add a helper ==
+
+This section describes how to add a helper named 'WoodpeckersHelper' to your plugin that will behave the same as a helper in your main app.  This is very similar to adding a model and a controller.
+
+You can test your plugin's helper as you would test any other helper:
+
+*vendor/plugins/yaffle/test/woodpeckers_helper_test.rb*
+
+[source, ruby]
+---------------------------------------------------------------
+require File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/test_helper.rb'
+include WoodpeckersHelper
+
+class WoodpeckersHelperTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
+  def test_tweet
+    assert_equal "Tweet! Hello", tweet("Hello")
+  end
+end
+---------------------------------------------------------------
+
+This is just a simple test to make sure the helper is being loaded correctly.  After watching it fail with `rake`, you can make it pass like so:
+
+*vendor/plugins/yaffle/lib/yaffle.rb:*
+
+[source, ruby]
+----------------------------------------------
+%w{ models controllers helpers }.each do |dir|
+  path = File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), 'app', dir)
+  $LOAD_PATH << path
+  ActiveSupport::Dependencies.load_paths << path
+  ActiveSupport::Dependencies.load_once_paths.delete(path)
+end
+
+ActionView::Base.send :include, WoodpeckersHelper
+----------------------------------------------
+
+
+*vendor/plugins/yaffle/lib/app/helpers/woodpeckers_helper.rb:*
+
+[source, ruby]
+----------------------------------------------
+module WoodpeckersHelper
+  
+  def tweet(text)
+    "Tweet! #{text}"
+  end
+  
+end
+----------------------------------------------
+
+Now your test should be passing, and you should be able to use the Woodpeckers helper in your app.
diff --git a/railties/doc/guides/source/creating_plugins/index.txt b/railties/doc/guides/source/creating_plugins/index.txt
index 67e6aec39c..19484e2830 100644
--- a/railties/doc/guides/source/creating_plugins/index.txt
+++ b/railties/doc/guides/source/creating_plugins/index.txt
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ include::models.txt[]
 
 include::controllers.txt[]
 
-include::view_helper.txt[]
+include::helpers.txt[]
 
 include::custom_route.txt[]
 
diff --git a/railties/doc/guides/source/creating_plugins/view_helper.txt b/railties/doc/guides/source/creating_plugins/view_helper.txt
deleted file mode 100644
index 4eaec93824..0000000000
--- a/railties/doc/guides/source/creating_plugins/view_helper.txt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,61 +0,0 @@
-== Create a `squawk_info_for` view helper ==
-
-Creating a view helper is a 3-step process:
-
- * Add an appropriately named file to the 'lib' directory.
- * Require the file and hooks in 'init.rb'.
- * Write the tests.
-
-First, create the test to define the functionality you want:
-
-*vendor/plugins/yaffle/test/view_helpers_test.rb*
-
-[source, ruby]
----------------------------------------------------------------
-require File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/test_helper.rb'
-include YaffleViewHelper
-
-class ViewHelpersTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
-  def test_squawk_info_for_should_return_the_text_and_date
-    time = Time.now
-    hickwall = Hickwall.new
-    hickwall.last_squawk = "Hello World"
-    hickwall.last_squawked_at = time
-    assert_equal "Hello World, #{time.to_s}", squawk_info_for(hickwall)
-  end
-end
----------------------------------------------------------------
-
-Then add the following statements to init.rb:
-
-*vendor/plugins/yaffle/init.rb*
-
-[source, ruby]
----------------------------------------------------------------
-require "view_helpers"
-ActionView::Base.send :include, YaffleViewHelper
----------------------------------------------------------------
-
-Then add the view helpers file and
-
-*vendor/plugins/yaffle/lib/view_helpers.rb*
-
-[source, ruby]
----------------------------------------------------------------
-module YaffleViewHelper
-  def squawk_info_for(yaffle)
-    returning "" do |result|
-      result << yaffle.read_attribute(yaffle.class.yaffle_text_field)
-      result << ", "
-      result << yaffle.read_attribute(yaffle.class.yaffle_date_field).to_s
-    end
-  end
-end
----------------------------------------------------------------
-
-You can also test this in script/console by using the `helper` method:
-
----------------------------------------------------------------
-$ ./script/console
->> helper.squawk_info_for(@some_yaffle_instance)
----------------------------------------------------------------