_form.html.erb

# partial that's inserted into pages new and pages edit

<p>
  <%= f.label :name %><br />
  <%= f.text_field :name %>
</p>
<p>
  <%= f.label :admin? %><br />
  <%= f.check_box :admin %>
</p>
<p>
  <%= f.label :parent_id %><br />
  <%= f.collection_select :parent_id, Page.find(:all), :id, :navlabel, :include_blank => true %>
</p>
<p>
  <%= f.label :position %><br />
  <%= f.text_field :position, :size => '3' %>
</p>
<p>
  <%= f.label :navlabel %><br />
  <%= f.text_field :navlabel %>
</p>
<p>
  <%= f.label :layout %><br />
  <%= f.select :layout,layout_collect, {} %>
</p>

edit.html.erb

# pages edit

<h1>Editing page</h1>

<% form_for(@object) do |f| %>
  <%= f.error_messages %>

  <%= render :partial => 'form', :locals => {:f => f} %>
  <p>
    <%= f.submit 'Update' %>
  </p>
<% end %>

<%= link_to 'Back', pages_path %>

global_rest_controller.rb

class GlobalRestController < ApplicationController

  def index
    @objects = params[:controller].singularize.camelize.constantize.all

    respond_to do |format|
      format.html 
      format.xml  { render :xml => @objects }
    end
  end

  def show
    @object = params[:controller].singularize.camelize.constantize.find(params[:id])

    respond_to do |format|
      format.html 
      format.xml  { render :xml => @object }
    end
  end

  def new
    @object = params[:controller].singularize.camelize.constantize.new

    respond_to do |format|
      format.html 
      format.xml  { render :xml => @object }
    end
  end

  def edit
    @object = params[:controller].singularize.camelize.constantize.find(params[:id])
  end


  def create
    model = params[:controller].singularize.downcase
    @object = params[:controller].singularize.camelize.constantize.new(params[model])

    respond_to do |format|
      if @object.save
        flash[:notice] = "#{params[:controller].singularize.camelize} was successfully created."
        format.html { redirect_to(@object) }
        format.xml  { render :xml => @object, :status => :created, :location => @object }
      else
        format.html { render :action => "new" }
        format.xml  { render :xml => @object.errors, :status => :unprocessable_entity }
      end
    end
  end

  def update
    model = params[:controller].singularize.downcase
    @object = params[:controller].singularize.camelize.constantize.find(params[:id])

    respond_to do |format|
      if @object.update_attributes(params[model])
        flash[:notice] = "#{params[:controller].singularize.camelize} was successfully updated."
        format.html { redirect_to(@object) }
        format.xml  { head :ok }
      else
        format.html { render :action => "edit" }
        format.xml  { render :xml => @object.errors, :status => :unprocessable_entity }
      end
    end
  end

  def destroy
    @object = params[:controller].singularize.camelize.constantize.find(params[:id])
    @object.destroy

    respond_to do |format|
      format.html { redirect_to(@object) }
      format.xml  { head :ok }
    end
  end

end

index.html.erb

# if you have a controller called pages, you would substitute the instance variable @pages with @objects

<table>
    <% @objects.each do |page| %>
      <tr class="oddrow">
        <td class="leftAlign"><%=h page.name %></td>
        <td class="leftAlign"><%=h page.navlabel %></td>
        <td class="centerAlign"><%=h page.position %></td>
        <td class="centerAlign"><%=h page.layout %></td>
        <td class="centerAlign"><%=h page.admin? ? "Yes" : "No" %></td>
        <td class="centerAlign"><%=h page.parent_id != nil ? "Yes" : "No" %></td>
        <td class="centerAlign"><%= link_to "Show", :alt => "Show"), page %></td>
        <td class="centerAlign"><%= link_to "Edit", :alt => "Edit"), edit_page_path(page) %></td>
        <td class="centerAlign"><%= link_to "Destroy", :alt => "Destroy"), page, :confirm => 'Are you sure?', :method => :delete %></td>
      </tr>
    <% end %>
</table>

new.html.erb

# pages new

<h1>New page</h1>

<% form_for(@object) do |f| %>
  <%= f.error_messages %>

  <%= render :partial => 'form', :locals => {:f => f} %>
  <p>
    <%= f.submit 'Create' %>
  </p>
<% end %>

<%= link_to 'Back', pages_path %>

pages_controller.rb

class PagesController < GlobalRestController
  #nothing here needed unless you decide to overwrite a rest method
end