# Controller helpers in app/helpers

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/controller-helpers-in-app-helpers/166726>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [April 29, 2009, 12:06am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/controller-helpers-in-app-helpers/166726 "2009-04-29T00:06:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![mhfs](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@mhfs](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/mhfs)\
**Post date:** [April 29, 2009, 12:06am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/controller-helpers-in-app-helpers/166726/1 "2009-04-29T00:06:50Z")

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Hello list,

## Originally, afaik, the modules in app/helpers are, by convention, only meant to be used as view helpers. With time, however, we ended up by only calling them helpers, which can cause some confusion and misconception, since helpers by itself are not attached to the view layer only. The other day I’ve seen a very interesting use of helper folder organization. Instead of putting a rb file in lib, plugins or whatever, my co-worker has created a sorthelper and has put it into app/helpers. Then, he included it in the controller with include, so, a controller helper. I know it’s not a big deal, but we have been so used to assign the files/modules in app/helpers to the view layer that it catched my attention and I though I would share

maybe helpers/ could also be used for little “model helpers”?. Maybe I’m  
going too far here 🙂 – Of course, any insights appreciated 🙂

Marcelo.

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**Author:** ![mhfs](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@mhfs](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/mhfs)\
**Post date:** [April 29, 2009, 12:54am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/controller-helpers-in-app-helpers/166726/2 "2009-04-29T00:54:47Z")

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If you have many of those (controller extensions) you can just create  
an “app/controller\_helpers” folder, add it to the load path and be  
done with it. Once they grow big and bold enough you can move them to  
a simple plugin.

- 

Maurício Linhares  
[http://alinhavado.wordpress.com/](http://alinhavado.wordpress.com/) (pt-br) | [http://blog.codevader.com/](http://blog.codevader.com/)  
(en)

On Tue, Apr 28, 2009 at 7:05 PM, Marcelo de Moraes S.

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**Author:** ![mhfs](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@mhfs](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/mhfs)\
**Post date:** [April 29, 2009, 1:13am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/controller-helpers-in-app-helpers/166726/3 "2009-04-29T01:13:31Z")

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Thanks Maurício, good idea.

2009/4/28 Maurício Linhares [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid)