# How do You Transform User-inputted URLs into Links?

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-do-you-transform-user-inputted-urls-into-links/118943>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [November 1, 2007, 5:09pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-do-you-transform-user-inputted-urls-into-links/118943 "2007-11-01T17:09:59Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![adistarmid](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/f14d63/32.png) [@adistarmid](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/adistarmid)\
**Post date:** [November 1, 2007, 5:09pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-do-you-transform-user-inputted-urls-into-links/118943/1 "2007-11-01T17:09:59Z")

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Do you know of a way to transform user-inputted URLs into actual links?

For instance, when a user types in “[http://yahoo.com](http://yahoo.com)”, how can we  
convert that into [http://yahoo.com](http://yahoo.com)

Any ideas?

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**Author:** ![adistarmid](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/f14d63/32.png) [@adistarmid](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/adistarmid)\
**Post date:** [November 1, 2007, 5:15pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-do-you-transform-user-inputted-urls-into-links/118943/2 "2007-11-01T17:15:24Z")

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On Nov 1, 9:09 am, Bob S. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid)  
wrote:

> Do you know of a way to transform user-inputted URLs into actual links?
> 
> For instance, when a user types in “[http://yahoo.com](http://yahoo.com)”, how can we  
> convert that into [http://yahoo.com](http://yahoo.com)
> 
> ## Any ideas?
> 
> Posted viahttp://www.ruby-forum.com/.

> **[ActionView::Helpers::TextHelper](https://api.rubyonrails.org/classes/ActionView/Helpers/TextHelper.html#M000630)**
>
> The TextHelper module provides a set of methods for filtering, formatting and transforming strings, which can reduce the amount of inline Ruby code in your views.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![adistarmid](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/f14d63/32.png) [@adistarmid](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/adistarmid)\
**Post date:** [November 1, 2007, 5:26pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-do-you-transform-user-inputted-urls-into-links/118943/3 "2007-11-01T17:26:07Z")

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gene tani wrote:

> On Nov 1, 9:09 am, Bob S. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid)  
> wrote:
> 
> > Do you know of a way to transform user-inputted URLs into actual links?
> > 
> > For instance, when a user types in “[http://yahoo.com](http://yahoo.com)”, how can we  
> > convert that into [http://yahoo.com](http://yahoo.com)
> > 
> > ## Any ideas?
> > 
> > Posted viahttp://www.ruby-forum.com/.
> 
> [ActionView::Helpers::TextHelper](http://api.rubyonrails.org/classes/ActionView/Helpers/TextHelper.html#M000630)

perfect! thanks, gene!