provide a current_controller? helper useful in creating menu

menu_helper.rb

#
# A rails helper snippet I find helpful for building main navigation
# when you want to highlight main pages (controllers) when browser
# requests a subpage.  
#
# eg. current request '/users/1/edit' but we want to highlight 
# the menu link to '/users'.  current_page? will be false but
# the current_controller? function will be true
#

# Find if a link is uses the current controller.
# Used in building main navigation to include 
# sublinks.
def current_controller?(link)
  url_for(link).include? @controller.controller_name
end

# Create list elements for building navigation
def menu_link_li(text, link, classes = "", include_separator = false, new_tab = false)
  begin
    if current_controller? link
  	classes += " selected"
    end
  rescue Exception => e
    # deal with a potential error of not using the helper with a request first being made.
  end
  
  if new_tab
    link_text = link_to text, link, :target => "_blank"
  else
    link_text = link_to text, link
  end
  
  html = %{<li class="#{classes}">#{link_text}</li>}
  if include_separator
    html += %{<li class="separator"></li>}
  end
  return html
end