application.html.erb

<%= menu %>

application_controller.rb

  def get_pages_for_tabs
    begin
      if logged_in? && User.find(current_user).admin?
        @tabs = Page.private_pages
      else
        @tabs = Page.main_pages
      end
    rescue
      logger.error("Rescue Encountered on Method (get_pages_for_tabs) in application_controller.rb" )
      @tabs = Page.main_pages
    end
  end

page.rb

class Page < ActiveRecord::Base
  
  # our body uses textiled a markup language
  acts_as_textiled :body
  
  # here we're specifying the relationship between parent pages and subpages so they belong to one another
  has_many :subpages, :class_name => 'Page', :foreign_key => 'parent_id', :order => 'position'
  belongs_to :parent, :class_name => 'Page', :foreign_key => 'parent_id'

  named_scope :main_pages, :conditions => ['pages.parent_id IS NULL and admin !=?', true], :order => 'pages.position', :include => :subpages
  named_scope :private_pages, :conditions => 'pages.parent_id IS NULL', :order => 'pages.position', :include => :subpages
  
end

table_helper.rb

  # Defines the menu for the application.html.erb (main page)
  def menu
    html = '<ul id="menunav">'
    @tabs.each do |page|
      html += '<li style="width: 90px;">'
      if page.redirect?
        html += link_to(page.navlabel, {:action => page.action_name, :controller => page.controller_name, :name => page.name}) 
      else
        html += link_to(page.navlabel, view_page_path(page.name))
      end
      unless page.subpages.empty?
        html += '<ul>'
        page.subpages.each do |subpage|
          if subpage.redirect?
            html += '<li>' + link_to(subpage.navlabel, {:action => subpage.action_name, :controller => subpage.controller_name, :name => subpage.name}) + '</li>'
          else
            html += '<li>' + link_to(subpage.navlabel, view_page_path(subpage.name)) + '</li>'
          end
        end
        html += '</ul>'
      end
      html += '</li>'
    end
    if logged_in?
      html += '<li style="width: 90px;">' + link_to("Log Out", logout_path) + '</li>'
    else
      html += '<li style="width: 90px;">' + link_to("Log In", login_path) + '</li>'
      html += '<li style="width: 90px;">' + link_to("Register", signup_path) + '</li>'
    end
    html += '</ul>'
    return html
  end