# Create links automatically **URL:** \ **Category:** Radiant CMS\ **Created:** [August 13, 2007, 4:54am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/create-links-automatically/111896 "2007-08-13T04:54:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mohits](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/bbe5ce/32.png) [@mohits](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/mohits)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2007, 4:54am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/create-links-automatically/111896/1 "2007-08-13T04:54:00Z")
Hi! I’ve been looking around in the plugins that are there for Radiant and I can’t seem to find anything directly that does this, so I’m asking here to see if anyone has implemented these/ knows of something that implements these (or if I just haven’t found it). 1. Automatically create links for URL. I’d like to be able to type in [http://example.org](http://example.org) or removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid and have a link created to it. If I use Textile, I need to do this as “[http://example.org](http://example.org)”:[http://example.org](http://example.org) - just wondering if there’s a tag I can use (else, I think I should just write it up). I think Rails has a function called auto\_link that can do this for text content - just need to think about any vulnerabilities that this may have. I imagine that this would only be a tag, no database backend needed. 2. Create links for known entities It would be good to have a mechanism that automatically creates links to known entities. For example, I’d like to set up SampleSite as being [http://example.org](http://example.org) and then every time, I include SampleSite, it automatically creates a link to [http://example.org](http://example.org). I don’t want it to be automatic (so we don’t need to parse all the text) - it’s good enough if I have to pass the name to a tag. I imagine that this would be 2 parts - 1 part would be a tab in the admin section allowing the user to set up any of the pre-defined entities (I think the link\_roll extension points in the correct direction) and then a tag that allows the user to get back the link. Any ideas? Cheers, Mohit. 8/13/2007 | 10:53 AM. ---
**Author:** ![mohits](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/bbe5ce/32.png) [@mohits](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/mohits)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2007, 5:53am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/create-links-automatically/111896/2 "2007-08-13T05:53:02Z")
> 1. Automatically create links for URL. > I’d like to be able to type in [http://example.org](http://example.org) or removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid > and have a link created to it. If I use Textile, I need to do this as > “[http://example.org](http://example.org)”:[http://example.org](http://example.org) - just wondering if there’s a > tag I can use (else, I think I should just write it up). I think Rails > has a function called auto\_link that can do this for text content - just > need to think about any vulnerabilities that this may have. I imagine > that this would only be a tag, no database backend needed. This sounds like a good candidate for a filter. You could probably harness the helper modules in ActionView to use auto\_link or simple\_format in a filter. > get back the link. This sounds like an extension… take a look at the wiki on How to Create an Extension. It explains how to create a LinkRoll, but the concepts are very similar. Sean ---
**Author:** ![mohits](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/bbe5ce/32.png) [@mohits](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/mohits)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2007, 6:10pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/create-links-automatically/111896/3 "2007-08-13T18:10:33Z")
Sean C. wrote: > > good enough if I have to pass the name to a tag. I imagine that this > > Sean Thanks for the reply, Sean. I’m sure that the second one can be modeled directly on your (excelent) LinkRoll extension tutorial. The concept is quite similar. As for the first one, umm, I need to look up on filters again - since I’ve spent some time with extensions, admittedly an extension seems easier! But, I shall take a look on using a filter instead… Cheers, Mohit. 8/14/2007 | 12:08 AM. ---
**Author:** ![mohits](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/bbe5ce/32.png) [@mohits](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/mohits)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2007, 7:50pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/create-links-automatically/111896/4 "2007-08-13T19:50:42Z")
> Thanks for the reply, Sean. I’m sure that the second one can be > modeled directly on your (excelent) LinkRoll extension tutorial. The > concept is quite similar. As for the first one, umm, I need to look > up on filters again - since I’ve spent some time with extensions, > admittedly an extension seems easier! But, I shall take a look on > using a filter instead… John wrote the tutorial ;). Actually you can package the first one in an extension too! There are two primary components to a filter: 1. The filter class itself 2. The filter reference The first you can model after the markdown or textile filters that are included in the normal distribution. If you want to see another example, check out the Sass filter extension. The filter reference is a fragment of HTML that will be displayed in the admin interface. You can either use the “description” (for shorter, inline descriptions) or “description\_file” (for text stored in a file) class methods to specify the reference. Check out the included .html files in the filter extensions for examples. Sean ---
**Author:** ![mohits](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/bbe5ce/32.png) [@mohits](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/mohits)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2007, 1:24pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/create-links-automatically/111896/5 "2007-09-17T13:24:08Z")
Sean C. wrote: > > > > This sounds like a good candidate for a filter. You could probably > harness the helper modules in ActionView to use auto\_link or > simple\_format in a filter. Hi Everyone, About a month back, I had asked if there was a way to automatically create links/ mail. I thought of it mostly cos I was using textile and would often do something like: “[http://www.onghu.com](http://www.onghu.com)”:[http://www.onghu.com](http://www.onghu.com) to get it to work. I am now in the midst of updating the site that needs this, so I wrote up a couple of tags for it and I’m enclosing it here in case someone needs it. I’m sure the code can be made prettier and there’s a lot more that can be done with this, but these meet my needs for now. If you add something, it would be good if you could let me know so that I can watch and learn. Cheers Mohit. ==== The Tags ==== desc %{ Renders a URL as a link. ‘url’ is the full URL (including http:// or ftp://) and ‘descr’ is the text that should be rendered as the title (for mouse over) and the link text. If ‘descr’ is not specified, ‘link’ is used. ``` *Usage*: 
  
}  
tag ‘teao:autolink’ do |tag|  
link = tag.attr[‘url’]  
descr = tag.attr[‘descr’] || link  
“\#{descr}”  
end

desc %{  
Converts an email address into a link. ‘url’ is the email address  
(without mailto) and ‘name’ is the name that should be  
rendered as the title (for mouse over) and the link text. If ‘name’  
is not specified, ‘url’ is used.

```
*Usage*:


  
}  
tag ‘teao:automail’ do |tag|  
link = tag.attr[‘url’]  
name = tag.attr[‘name’] || link  
“\#{name}”  
end

---




**Author:** ![mohits](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/bbe5ce/32.png) [@mohits](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/mohits)\
**Post date:** [September 17, 2007, 1:24pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/create-links-automatically/111896/6 "2007-09-17T13:24:46Z")




Mohit S. wrote:

> > > needed.
> 
> and learn.
> 
> Cheers  
> Mohit.

As luck would have it, I posted you the wrong version! I’m embarrassed  
but here are the new ones.

desc %{  
Renders a URL as a link. ‘url’ is the full URL (including http://  
or ftp://) and ‘descr’ is the text that should be  
rendered as the title (for mouse over) and the link text. If  
‘descr’ is not specified, ‘link’ is used.

```
*Usage*:




```

}  
tag ‘teao:autolink’ do |tag|  
url = tag.attr[‘url’]  
descr = tag.attr[‘descr’] || url  
“\#{descr}"  
end

desc %{  
Converts an email address into a link. ‘url’ is the email address  
(without mailto) and ‘name’ is the name that should be  
rendered as the title (for mouse over) and the link text. If ‘name’  
is not specified, ‘url’ is used.

```
*Usage*:




```

}  
tag ‘teao:automail’ do |tag|  
url = tag.attr[‘url’]  
name = tag.attr[‘name’] || url  
“\#{name}"  
end

Mohit.

---




**Author:** ![mohits](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/bbe5ce/32.png) [@mohits](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/mohits)\
**Post date:** [August 13, 2007, 8:02pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/create-links-automatically/111896/7 "2007-08-13T20:02:44Z")




Sean C. wrote:

> > Thanks for the reply, Sean. I’m sure that the second one can be  
> > modeled directly on your (excelent) LinkRoll extension tutorial. The  
> > concept is quite similar. As for the first one, umm, I need to look  
> > up on filters again - since I’ve spent some time with extensions,  
> > admittedly an extension seems easier! But, I shall take a look on  
> > using a filter instead…
> 
> John wrote the tutorial ;).

Ooopss… my apologies!

> Actually you can package the first one in  
> an extension too! There are two primary components to a filter:
> 
> 1. The filter class itself
> 2. The filter reference
> 
> The first you can model after the markdown or textile filters that are  
> included in the normal distribution. If you want to see another  
> example, check out the Sass filter extension.

I certainly don’t know enough about filters but at least for Textile and  
Markdown, it appears that you can only pick one or the other. I love  
Textile and certainly don’t want to repeat the work for rendering  
everything else. I only need something that DRYs up the typing of URLs  
when writing up the text. (At first, I thought you meant something like  
an after or before filter and that made some sense in my head). I think  
it may be easiest for me to start by looking at the Sass filter and/ or  
just sticking with an extension for now (now = after I write it).

> The filter reference is a fragment of HTML that will be displayed in the  
> admin interface. You can either use the “description” (for shorter,  
> inline descriptions) or “description\_file” (for text stored in a file)  
> class methods to specify the reference. Check out the included .html  
> files in the filter extensions for examples.
> 
> Sean

Thanks again, Sean!

Cheers,  
Mohit.  
8/14/2007 | 2:00 AM.