# Using helpers in controllers

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/using-helpers-in-controllers/120409>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [November 16, 2007, 5:35pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/using-helpers-in-controllers/120409 "2007-11-16T17:35:30Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![jordelver](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/9dc877/32.png) [@jordelver](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jordelver)\
**Post date:** [November 16, 2007, 5:35pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/using-helpers-in-controllers/120409/1 "2007-11-16T17:35:30Z")

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Hi,  
What’s the recommended method of accessing helper methods from  
controllers?  
For example, if I wanted to use the pluralize method from  
ActionView::Helpers::TextHelper in one of my controllers for flash  
messages, how would I make it accessible?

Many thanks,  
Jordan

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jordelver](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/9dc877/32.png) [@jordelver](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jordelver)\
**Post date:** [November 16, 2007, 6:14pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/using-helpers-in-controllers/120409/2 "2007-11-16T18:14:27Z")

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Jordan E. wrote:

> Hi,  
> What’s the recommended method of accessing helper methods from  
> controllers?  
> For example, if I wanted to use the pluralize method from  
> ActionView::Helpers::TextHelper in one of my controllers for flash  
> messages, how would I make it accessible?
> 
> Many thanks,  
> Jordan

Because the use of helpers is discouraged in controllers (as you are  
supposed to use them on views) is a little hard to do that. One option  
could be:

aht= ActionView::Helpers::TextHelper

aht.module\_eval do  
module\_function :pluralize  
end

Then you could do:

flash[:notice]= aht.pluralize(“thing”)

Not very nice tough… 🙂

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jordelver](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/9dc877/32.png) [@jordelver](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jordelver)\
**Post date:** [November 17, 2007, 7:29pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/using-helpers-in-controllers/120409/3 "2007-11-17T19:29:26Z")

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> Then you could do:
> 
> flash[:notice]= aht.pluralize(“thing”)
> 
> Not very nice tough… 🙂

No, but I’ll give it a try 🙂  
Thanks.