gistfile1.rb

def generic_select (item, default, object, method, options = {})
  obj = options[:object] || instance_variable_get("@#{object}")
  value = options[:value] || (obj.nil? ? obj : obj.send(method))
  value = value.to_s
  options[:size] = options[:size] || default unless default.blank?
  text_field(object, method, options) + '<div class="' + item + '_autocomplete autocomplete"></div>'
end

def generic_tag_select (item, default, name, value = nil, options = {})
  value = value.to_s
  options[:size] = options[:size] || default unless default.blank?
  text_field_tag(name, value, options) + '<div class="' + item +'_autocomplete autocomplete"></div>'    
end

set = {'customer'=>'','owner'=>'','patient'=>'','sales_person'=>'','make'=>'15','model'=>'15','size'=>'3','width'=>'3','supplier'=>'15'}

set.each do |item,default|
  #Somewhere in here, I need to define item_tag_select and item_select for everything in the set
  define_method "#{item}_select" do |arg, arg2|
    # you can use 'default' in here
  end
  
  define_method "#{item}_tag_select" do |arg, arg2|
    # you can use 'default' in here
  end
end