# Help with Navigation

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/help-with-navigation/180619>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [December 23, 2009, 3:21pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/help-with-navigation/180619 "2009-12-23T15:21:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![scrozier](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/48db29/32.png) [@scrozier](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/scrozier)\
**Post date:** [December 23, 2009, 3:21pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/help-with-navigation/180619/1 "2009-12-23T15:21:17Z")

</div>

I’m currently using CSS to style my navigational menu. I also have  
jquery at my disposal. The basic structure is like this:

## Active Menu Item

- [Menu Item](https://www.ruby-forum.com/contacts)
- [Menu Item](https://www.ruby-forum.com/tasks)

My question: What would be the best way to call the current page, and  
using some kind of conditional statement to say (in theory):

“If the current page is this, then put it in the H2 heading and exclude  
it from the unordered list.”

Thanks in advance for any help at all.

---

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**Author:** ![scrozier](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/48db29/32.png) [@scrozier](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/scrozier)\
**Post date:** [December 23, 2009, 5:43pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/help-with-navigation/180619/2 "2009-12-23T17:43:56Z")

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Steve C. wrote:

> I’m currently using CSS to style my navigational menu. I also have  
> jquery at my disposal. The basic structure is like this:
> 
> ## Active Menu Item
> 
> - [Menu Item](https://www.ruby-forum.com/contacts)
> - [Menu Item](https://www.ruby-forum.com/tasks)

Your CSS and HTML are irrelevant. This is a Rails question.

> My question: What would be the best way to call the current page, and  
> using some kind of conditional statement to say (in theory):

Have you looked at current\_page? ?

> “If the current page is this, then put it in the H2 heading and exclude  
> it from the unordered list.”

Don’t remove it from the list. Navigation menus are least confusing  
when they’re consistent.

## Best,

Marnen Laibow-Koser  
[http://www.marnen.org](http://www.marnen.org)  
removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid

> Thanks in advance for any help at all.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![scrozier](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/48db29/32.png) [@scrozier](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/scrozier)\
**Post date:** [December 23, 2009, 6:37pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/help-with-navigation/180619/3 "2009-12-23T18:37:46Z")

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Marnen Laibow-Koser wrote:

> Have you looked at current\_page? ?

Thanks. current\_page? worked great. I think it can be refactored but  
for now it’s working the way I want it.

I basically did:

\<% if current\_page?( :controller =\> ‘example’ )  
…HTML goes here…  
\<% end %\>

For the H2 “active” area, and then left the UL list with all menu  
options like you suggested.

Thanks as always, Marnen.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![scrozier](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/48db29/32.png) [@scrozier](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/scrozier)\
**Post date:** [December 25, 2009, 4:58pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/help-with-navigation/180619/4 "2009-12-25T16:58:24Z")

</div>

Hi there,

for your next project, you might want to check out the simple-  
navigation plugin which does everything for you (except the styling/  
css):

> **[GitHub - codeplant/simple-navigation: A ruby gem for creating navigations...](https://github.com/codeplant/simple-navigation)**
>
> A ruby gem for creating navigations (with multiple levels) for your Rails, Sinatra or Padrino applications. Render your navigation as html list, link list or breadcrumbs. - GitHub - codeplant/simp...

All the best for 2010  
Andi

On 23 Dez., 18:37, Steve C. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote:

> \<% end %\>
> 
> For the H2 “active” area, and then left the UL list with all menu  
> options like you suggested.
> 
> Thanks as always, Marnen.
> 
> –  
> Posted viahttp://www.ruby-forum.com/.

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