diff --git a/actionpack/CHANGELOG b/actionpack/CHANGELOG
index c9e554acff..232e5995c8 100644
--- a/actionpack/CHANGELOG
+++ b/actionpack/CHANGELOG
@@ -1,5 +1,13 @@
 *SVN*
 
+* Add the following RJS methods: [Sam Stephenson]
+  
+    * alert - Displays an alert() dialog
+    * redirect_to - Changes window.location.href to simulate a browser redirect
+    * call - Calls a JavaScript function
+    * assign - Assigns to a JavaScript variable
+    * << - Inserts an arbitrary JavaScript string
+
 * Fix incorrect documentation for form_for [Nicholas Seckar]
 
 * Don't include a layout when rendering an rjs template using render's :template option. [Marcel Molina Jr.]
diff --git a/actionpack/lib/action_view/helpers/prototype_helper.rb b/actionpack/lib/action_view/helpers/prototype_helper.rb
index a0f3a6b42d..89d9ea7f2d 100644
--- a/actionpack/lib/action_view/helpers/prototype_helper.rb
+++ b/actionpack/lib/action_view/helpers/prototype_helper.rb
@@ -422,8 +422,8 @@ module ActionView
         #   insert_html :bottom, 'list', '<li>Last item</li>'
         #
         def insert_html(position, id, *options_for_render)
-          html = render(*options_for_render)
-          record "new Insertion.#{position.to_s.camelize}(#{id.inspect}, #{html.inspect})"
+          insertion = position.to_s.camelize
+          call "new Insertion.#{insertion}", id, render(*options_for_render)
         end
   
         # Replaces the inner HTML of the DOM element with the given +id+.
@@ -436,25 +436,51 @@ module ActionView
         #   replace_html 'person-45', :partial => 'person', :object => @person
         #
         def replace_html(id, *options_for_render)
-          html = render(*options_for_render)
-          record "Element.update(#{id.inspect}, #{html.inspect})"
+          call 'Element.update', id, render(*options_for_render)
         end
   
         # Removes the DOM elements with the given +ids+ from the page.
         def remove(*ids)
-          record "#{ids.inspect}.each(Element.remove)"
+          record "#{javascript_object_for(ids)}.each(Element.remove)"
         end
   
         # Shows hidden DOM elements with the given +ids+.
         def show(*ids)
-          record "Element.show(#{ids.map {|id| id.inspect} * ', '})"
+          call 'Element.show', *ids
         end
   
         # Hides the visible DOM elements with the given +ids+.
         def hide(*ids)
-          record "Element.hide(#{ids.map {|id| id.inspect} * ', '})"
+          call 'Element.hide', *ids
         end
-
+        
+        # Displays an alert dialog with the given +message+.
+        def alert(message)
+          call 'alert', message
+        end
+        
+        # Redirects the browser to the given +location+, in the same form as
+        # +url_for+.
+        def redirect_to(location)
+          assign 'window.location.href', @context.url_for(location)
+        end
+        
+        # Calls the JavaScript +function+, optionally with the given 
+        # +arguments+.
+        def call(function, *arguments)
+          record "#{function}(#{arguments_for_call(arguments)})"
+        end
+        
+        # Assigns the JavaScript +variable+ the given +value+.
+        def assign(variable, value)
+          record "#{variable} = #{javascript_object_for(value)}"
+        end
+        
+        # Writes raw JavaScript to the page.
+        def <<(javascript)
+          @lines << javascript
+        end
+        
       private
         def method_missing(method, *arguments, &block)
           record @context.send(method, *arguments, &block)
@@ -462,7 +488,7 @@ module ActionView
 
         def record(line)
           returning line = "#{line.to_s.chomp.gsub /\;$/, ''};" do
-            @lines << line
+            self << line
           end
         end
   
@@ -471,6 +497,14 @@ module ActionView
             @context.render(*options_for_render) : 
               options_for_render.first.to_s
         end
+
+        def javascript_object_for(object)
+          object.respond_to?(:to_json) ? object.to_json : object.inspect
+        end
+
+        def arguments_for_call(arguments)
+          arguments.map { |argument| javascript_object_for(argument) }.join ', '
+        end
       end
       
       # Yields a JavaScriptGenerator and returns the generated JavaScript code.
diff --git a/actionpack/test/template/prototype_helper_test.rb b/actionpack/test/template/prototype_helper_test.rb
index 32292a7e18..56485bc21c 100644
--- a/actionpack/test/template/prototype_helper_test.rb
+++ b/actionpack/test/template/prototype_helper_test.rb
@@ -192,6 +192,15 @@ class JavaScriptGeneratorTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
       @generator.hide('foo', 'bar', 'baz')
   end
   
+  def test_alert
+    assert_equal 'alert("hello");', @generator.alert('hello')
+  end
+  
+  def test_redirect_to
+    assert_equal 'window.location.href = "http://www.example.com/welcome";',
+      @generator.redirect_to(:action => 'welcome')
+  end
+  
   def test_to_s
     @generator.insert_html(:top, 'element', '<p>This is a test</p>')
     @generator.insert_html(:bottom, 'element', '<p>This is a test</p>')