Write documentation for AbstractController::Helpers

actionpack/lib/action_controller/abstract/helpers.rb

@@ -5,33 +5,26 @@ module AbstractController
     include Renderer
 
     included do
-      extlib_inheritable_accessor :master_helper_module
-      self.master_helper_module = Module.new
+      extlib_inheritable_accessor(:_helpers) { Module.new }
     end
 
+    # Override AbstractController::Renderer's _action_view to include the
+    # helper module for this class into its helpers module.
     def _action_view
-      @_action_view ||= begin
-        av = super
-        av.helpers.send(:include, master_helper_module)
-        av
-      end
+      @_action_view ||= super.tap { |av| av.helpers.include(_helpers) }
     end
 
     module ClassMethods
+      # When a class is inherited, wrap its helper module in a new module.
+      # This ensures that the parent class's module can be changed
+      # independently of the child class's.
       def inherited(klass)
-        klass.master_helper_module = Module.new
-        klass.master_helper_module.__send__ :include, master_helper_module
+        helpers = _helpers
+        klass._helpers = Module.new { include helpers }
 
         super
       end
 
-      # Makes all the (instance) methods in the helper module available to templates rendered through this controller.
-      # See ActionView::Helpers (link:classes/ActionView/Helpers.html) for more about making your own helper modules
-      # available to the templates.
-      def add_template_helper(mod)
-        master_helper_module.module_eval { include mod }
-      end
-
       # Declare a controller method as a helper. For example, the following
       # makes the +current_user+ controller method available to the view:
       #   class ApplicationController < ActionController::Base
@@ -48,9 +41,13 @@ module AbstractController
       #
       # In a view:
       #  <% if logged_in? -%>Welcome, <%= current_user.name %><% end -%>
+      #
+      # ==== Parameters
+      # meths<Array[#to_s]>:: The name of a method on the controller
+      #   to be made available on the view.
       def helper_method(*meths)
         meths.flatten.each do |meth|
-          master_helper_module.class_eval <<-ruby_eval, __FILE__, __LINE__ + 1
+          _helpers.class_eval <<-ruby_eval, __FILE__, __LINE__ + 1
             def #{meth}(*args, &blk)
               controller.send(%(#{meth}), *args, &blk)
             end
@@ -58,6 +55,14 @@ module AbstractController
         end
       end
 
+      # Make a number of helper modules part of this class' default
+      # helpers.
+      #
+      # ==== Parameters
+      # *args<Array[Module]>:: Modules to be included
+      # block<Block>:: Evalulate the block in the context
+      #   of the helper module. Any methods defined in the block
+      #   will be helpers.
       def helper(*args, &block)
         args.flatten.each do |arg|
           case arg
@@ -65,7 +70,18 @@ module AbstractController
             add_template_helper(arg)
           end
         end
-        master_helper_module.module_eval(&block) if block_given?
+        _helpers.module_eval(&block) if block_given?
+      end
+
+      private
+      # Makes all the (instance) methods in the helper module available to templates
+      # rendered through this controller.
+      #
+      # ==== Parameters
+      # mod<Module>:: The module to include into the current helper module
+      #   for the class
+      def add_template_helper(mod)
+        _helpers.module_eval { include mod }
       end
     end
   end

actionpack/lib/action_controller/abstract/renderer.rb

@@ -29,6 +29,9 @@ module AbstractController
     #   partial<Boolean>:: Whether or not the template to render is a partial
     # _partial:: If a partial, rather than a template, was rendered, return
     #   the partial.
+    # helpers:: A module containing the helpers to be used in the view. This
+    #   module should respond_to include.
+    # controller:: The controller that initialized the ActionView
     #
     # Override this method in a to change the default behavior.
     def _action_view

actionpack/lib/action_controller/new_base/helpers.rb

@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ module ActionController
         end
 
         # Evaluate block in template class if given.
-        master_helper_module.module_eval(&block) if block_given?
+        _helpers.module_eval(&block) if block_given?
       end
 
       # Declares helper accessors for controller attributes. For example, the
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ module ActionController
       def helpers
         unless @helper_proxy
           @helper_proxy = ActionView::Base.new
-          @helper_proxy.extend master_helper_module
+          @helper_proxy.extend _helpers
         else
           @helper_proxy
         end

actionpack/test/controller/helper_test.rb

@@ -127,7 +127,11 @@ class HelperTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
   end
 
   def test_all_helpers
-    methods = AllHelpersController.master_helper_module.instance_methods.map {|m| m.to_s}
+    methods = if defined?(ActionController::Http)
+      AllHelpersController._helpers.instance_methods.map {|m| m.to_s}
+    else
+      AllHelpersController.master_helper_module.instance_methods.map {|m| m.to_s}
+    end
 
     # abc_helper.rb
     assert methods.include?('bare_a')
@@ -143,7 +147,12 @@ class HelperTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
     @controller_class.helpers_dir = File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../fixtures/alternate_helpers'
 
     # Reload helpers
-    @controller_class.master_helper_module = Module.new
+    if defined?(ActionController::Http)
+      @controller_class._helpers = Module.new
+    else
+      @controller_class.master_helper_module = Module.new
+    end
+
     @controller_class.helper :all
 
     # helpers/abc_helper.rb should not be included
@@ -175,7 +184,11 @@ class HelperTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
     end
 
     def master_helper_methods
-      @controller_class.master_helper_module.instance_methods.map {|m| m.to_s }
+      if defined?(ActionController::Http)
+        @controller_class._helpers.instance_methods.map {|m| m.to_s }
+      else
+        @controller_class.master_helper_module.instance_methods.map {|m| m.to_s }
+      end
     end
 
     def missing_methods