localization games

gistfile1.rb

# First, I put this into the application helper

module ApplicationHelper

  class T
    instance_methods.each { |m| undef_method m unless m =~ /^((object_id$)|(__))/ }

    def method_missing(sym, *args, &block)
      @str = @str ? "#{@str}.#{sym}" : sym.to_s
      self
    end

    def to_s() I18n.translate(@str) end
  end

  def tt() T.new end

  # ... further stuff
end

#-------------------------------
# and then, in the views
# we get

<%= tt.activerecord.attributes.customer.firstname %>

Vorname

<% t2 = tt.activerecord.attributes.customer %>
<%= t2.firstname %>
<%= t2.lastname %>

Vorname
Nachname

<%= tt.foo.bar.firstname %>

translation missing: de.foo.bar.firstname