What's the correct way to reference a helper in a rails controller?

Question

Sometimes I need to use helper methods in controllers (sanitization methods, rendering text back to the view, various other applications). What's the right way? I've got:

• self.class.helpers.myhelper
• view_context.myhelper
• include MyHelper; myhelper
• helper MyHelper; myhelper

Answer 1

• ActionController::Base.helpers is the gold standard; you might want to wrap it in a method for convenience:

   private def helpers ActionController::Base.helpers end 

• helper MyHelper : if you're trying to isolate the helper to the scope of a single controller and don't want to keep typing helpers all over the place
• Avoid view_context it instantiates a view instance per call and assumes you're necessarily using ActionView
• Avoid self.class.helpers.myhelper since this'll need to perform reflection to determine the current class
• Avoid include MyHelper; myhelper include MyHelper; myhelper since this'll make all the helper methods controller actions