An application_helper function to output stuff in a metro-like format for bootstrap.

metroify.rb

def metroify(collection, partial, opts = {})
    return "" unless collection.present?
    output = ""
    coll_copy = collection.dup
    
    renderize = lambda do |obj, tile|
      locals = {tile: tile}
      locals = locals.merge(opts[:locals]) if opts[:locals]
      render_opts = opts.dup.merge(partial: partial, object: obj, locals: locals)
      render(render_opts).to_s
    end
    
    begin
      row_height = [2, 4, 4, 4].sample
      if row_height == 2
        output << "<div class='row'>"
        6.times do 
          obj = coll_copy.shift 
          next unless obj.present?
          output << "<div class='span2 tile2'>" << renderize.call(obj, 'tile2') << "</div>"
        end
        output << "</div>"
      else
        
        output << "<div class='row'>"
        3.times do 
          colset_type = ['big_square', 'wide_top', 'wide_bottom', 'tiles'].sample
          case colset_type
          when 'big_square'
            output << "<div class='span4 tile4'>"
            obj = coll_copy.shift
            output << renderize.call(obj, 'tile4') if obj.present?
            output << "</div>"
          when 'wide_top'
            output << "<div class='span4'>"
              output << "<div class='row'>"
                output << "<div class='span4 tile4-wide'>"
                obj = coll_copy.shift
                output << renderize.call(obj, 'tile4-wide') if obj.present?
                output << "</div>"
              output << "</div>"
          
              output << "<div class='row'>"
                2.times do
                  output << "<div class='span2 tile2'>"
                  obj = coll_copy.shift
                  output << renderize.call(obj, 'tile2')
                  output << "</div>"
                end
              output << "</div>"
            output << "</div>"
          when 'wide_bottom'
            output << "<div class='span4'>"
              output << "<div class='row'>"
                2.times do
                  output << "<div class='span2 tile2'>"
                  obj = coll_copy.shift
                  output << renderize.call(obj, 'tile2')
                  output << "</div>"
                end
              output << "</div>"
          
              output << "<div class='row'>"
                output << "<div class='span4 tile4-wide'>"
                obj = coll_copy.shift
                output << renderize.call(obj, 'tile4-wide')
                output << "</div>"
              output << "</div>"
            output << "</div>"
          when 'tiles'
            output << "<div class='span4'>"
              2.times do 
                output << "<div class='row'>"
                  2.times do
                    output << "<div class='span2 tile2'>"
                    obj = coll_copy.shift
                    output << renderize.call(obj, 'tile2')
                    output << "</div>"
                  end
                output << "</div>"
              end
            output << "</div>"
          end
        end
        output << "</div>"
      end
    end while coll_copy.present?
    
    output.html_safe
  end