Merged with name_to_sym changes, changing BObama to RPaul!

lib/dataset/session_binding.rb

@@ -158,6 +158,15 @@ def find_model(*args)
     def name_model(*args)
       dataset_session_binding.name_model(*args)
     end
+
+    # Converts string names into symbols for use in naming models
+    # 
+    #     name_to_sym 'my name' => :my_name
+    #     name_to_sym 'RPaul'  => :r_paul
+    # 
+    def name_to_sym(name)
+      dataset_session_binding.name_to_sym(name)
+    end
   end
 
   class SessionBinding # :nodoc:
@@ -238,6 +247,10 @@ def record_meta_for_type(record_type)
       end
     end
 
+    def name_to_sym(name)
+      name.to_s.underscore.gsub("'", "").gsub("\"", "").gsub(" ", "_").to_sym if name
+    end
+
     protected
       def insert(dataset_record_class, record_type, *args)
         symbolic_name, attributes = extract_creation_arguments args

spec/dataset/session_binding_spec.rb

@@ -157,6 +157,18 @@
     end
   end
 
+  describe 'name_to_sym' do
+    it 'should convert strings to symbols' do
+      @binding.name_to_sym(nil).should == nil
+      @binding.name_to_sym('thing').should == :thing
+      @binding.name_to_sym('Mything').should == :mything
+      @binding.name_to_sym('MyThing').should == :my_thing
+      @binding.name_to_sym('My Thing').should == :my_thing
+      @binding.name_to_sym('"My Thing"').should == :my_thing
+      @binding.name_to_sym('\'My Thing\'').should == :my_thing
+    end
+  end
+
   describe 'nested bindings' do
     before do
       @binding.create_model Thing, :mything, :name => 'my thing'