Automatically load (and reload) helper modules from the "helpers" directory

[bhollis]

To provide an experience more consistent with Rails, and allow for easier configuration of helpers and iteration on helpers while running preview server, helper modules should be automatically loaded from a "helpers" directory, and should be reloaded when they are changed while running the preview server. This should work similarly to how Rails handles helpers.

[tdreyno]

Would these helper files be Ruby modules or just raw methods in a file?

We already watch and refresh the lib directory, but I guess we don't autoload the files.

[tdreyno]

Should the generated template include helpers, thus creating a more complicated empty project? Or not and simply document this magical directory?

[bhollis]

Ruby modules matching the name of their file (CamelCase to under_score) so that they can be unloaded before being reloaded, like Rails does.

I'd leave it out of the default project, though. Documentation should be fine :-)

[tdreyno]

Done and done.

Created 3 new config variables:

  app.set :helpers_dir, "helpers"
  app.set :helpers_filename_glob, "**/*_helper.rb"
  app.set :helpers_filename_to_module_name_proc, Proc.new { |filename|
    basename = File.basename(filename, File.extname(filename))
    basename.camelcase
  }

These defaults mean files must be in the helpers/ directory and named something_helper.rb and we will get the module name by camelcasing the file name.

[bhollis]

Awesome!