Make controller code more readable...

pages_controller.rb

class PagesController < Protected::Base

  before_filter :authorized?, :except => [:index, :show]
  before_filter :assign_searcher, :except => :index
  before_filter :assign_navigation, :except => [:show, :new, :edit]

  def index
    @pages = Page.find :all
  end

  def show id = fetch(:id), version = fetch(:version, 'HEAD'),
      page = find_and_set(id, :version => version)

    @page = page
    return :show
  end
  def publish id = fetch(:id), version = fetch(:version, 'HEAD'),
      page = find_and_set(id, :version => version)

    if page.publish
      redirect_to protected_page_path(page)
    else
      render show(id, version, page)
    end
  end

  def new attributes = fetch(:page, {}),
      page = Page.new(attributes)

    @page = page
    return :new
  end
  def create attributes = fetch(:page),
      page = Page.new(attributes)

    # TODO: submit location in tree

    if page.save
      navigation.insert page
      navigation.write visitor, "updated link to #{ page.href }"

      redirect_to protected_page_path(page)
    else
      render new(attributes, page)
    end
  end

  def edit id = fetch(:id),
      page = find_and_set(id)

    @page = page
    return :edit
  end
  def update id = fetch(:id), attributes = fetch(:page),
      page = find_and_set(id, attributes)

    if page.save
      navigation.update page
      navigation.write visitor, "updated link to #{ page.href }"

      redirect_to protected_page_path(id)
    else
      render edit(id, page)
    end
  end

  def destroy id = fetch(:id),
      page = find_and_set(id)

    page.destroy

    navigation.delete page
    navigation.write visitor, "removed link to #{ page.href }"

    redirect_to protected_page_path(id)
  end

  protected

    def fetch(key, *default)
      param.fetch key.to_s, *default
    end
    def find_and_set(id, attributes = nil)
      page = Page.find id
      page.attributes = attributes if attributes

      block_given?? yield(page) : page
    end

    def assign_navigation
      @navigation = Navigation.local
    end
    attr_reader :navigation

    def authorized?
      visitor.is_a? 'Author'
    end
    def assign_searcher
      raise NotImplementedError
    end

end