[shared] rails custom ajax helper for jquery

requirements:
- jrails plugin (https://github.com/aaronchi/jrails)
- working jquery.gritter or other js notification (http://boedesign.com/blog/2009/07/11/growl-for-jquery-gritter/)
- my jquery.extended_helper (http://code.google.com/p/jquery-extendedhelper)

installation:
- add these code in application_helper.rb

# Adding additional options for ajax function
# You can use thisElement to manipulate element that using the function (link/button/form)
def custom_remote_function_options options
  options[:before] ||= ""
  options[:loading] ||= ""
  options[:complete] ||= ""
  options[:success] ||= ""
  options[:before] += "; var thisElement=this"
  options[:failure] ||= "; eval(request.responseText)"

  unless options[:loading_text].blank?
    options[:loading] += "; thisElement.notif = #{notification_loading(options[:loading_text])}"
    options[:complete] += "; #{notification_remove "thisElement.notif"}"
  end
  options
end

# Override rails remote_function using additional options
def custom_remote_function options
  remote_function(custom_remote_function_options(options)).html_safe
end

# Override rails link_to_remote function using additional options
# Disabling the link when ajax loading in progress to avoid double request
def custom_link_to_remote name, options={}, html_options=nil
  options = custom_remote_function_options options
  options[:loading] += "; $(thisElement).setLink(false)"
  options[:complete] += "; $(thisElement).setLink(true)"
  link_to_remote name, options, html_options
end

# Override rails button_to_remote function using additional options
# Disabling the button when ajax loading in progress to avoid double request
def custom_button_to_remote name, options={}, html_options=nil
  options = custom_remote_function_options options
  options[:loading] += "; $(thisElement).setInput(false)"
  options[:complete] += "; $(thisElement).setInput(true)"
  button_to_remote name, options, html_options
end

# Adding additional options for ajax form
# Add :unchange_default => true to prevent successful request changing default form fields value
# Add :disable_link => true to disable all link inside form when loading in progress
def custom_remote_form_options options
  options = custom_remote_function_options options
  options[:loading] += "; $(':input', thisElement).setInput(false);"
  options[:complete] += "; $(':input', thisElement).setInput(true);"
  unless options[:unchange_default]
    options[:success] +=  "; $(':input', thisElement).setDefault();"
  end
  if options[:disable_link]
    options[:loading] += "; $('a', thisElement).setLink(false);"
    options[:complete] += "; $('a', thisElement).setLink(true);"
  end
  options
end

# Override rails remote_form_for using additional options
def custom_remote_form_for record_or_name_or_array, *args, &proc
  args.push custom_remote_form_options(args.extract_options!)
  remote_form_for record_or_name_or_array, *args, &proc
end
alias_method :custom_form_remote_for, :custom_remote_form_for

# Override rails form_remote_tag using additional options
def custom_form_remote_tag options={}, &block
  form_remote_tag custom_remote_form_options(options), &block
end
alias_method :custom_remote_form_tag, :custom_form_remote_tag

def custom_button_to_remote name, value, options = {}
  button_to_remote name, value, custom_remote_form_options(options)
end

# Override rails submit_to_remote using additional options
def custom_submit_to_remote(name, value, options = {})
  submit_to_remote(name, value, custom_remote_form_options(options))
end

def notification_info text, no_escape=false
  text.gsub!(/\n/, '
')
  text = escape_javascript(text) unless no_escape
  "notificationInfo('#{text}')"
end

def notification_loading text, no_escape=false
  text.gsub!(/\n/, '
')
  text = escape_javascript(text) unless no_escape
  "notificationLoading('#{text}')"
end

def notification_error text, no_escape=false
  text.gsub!(/\n/, '
')
  text = escape_javascript(text) unless no_escape
  "notificationError('#{text}')"
end

def notification_remove notification
  "notificationRemove(#{notification})"
end

- add notification code in application.js (sample using jquery.gritter)

function notificationInfo(text){
  return $.gritter.add({text: text.replace(/\n/g, '
')});
}

function notificationError(text){
  return $.gritter.add({text: '' + text.replace(/\n/g, '
') + '',time: 6000});
}

function notificationLoading(text){
  return $.gritter.add({text: text.replace(/\n/g, '
'), image: '/images/gritter-loading.gif', sticky:true})
}

function notificationRemove(notification){
  $.gritter.remove(notification);
}