gistfile1.rb

# fucking around to hack together the most ghetto date_select known to man
require 'date'

def date_select( field, options={} )
  
  # wraps content with a specified tag
  def rapper(tag, options={})
    "<#{ tag }>#{ yield if block_given? }</#{ tag }>"
  end
  
  # returns a correctly ordered array from a range
  ranger = lambda do |from,to| 
    if from > to
      c = "(#{ to }..#{ from }).to_a.reverse"
    else
      c = "(#{ from }..#{ to }).to_a"
    end 
    return eval(c)
  end 
  
  year = rapper(:select) do
    ranger.call(DateTime.now.year, 1978).map { |x| rapper(:option){ x }}
  end 
  
  month = rapper(:select) do
    ranger.call(1,12).map { |x| rapper(:option){ x }}
  end 
  
  day = rapper(:select) do
    ranger.call(1,31).map { |x| rapper(:option){ x }}
  end
  
  "#{ year }#{ month }#{ day }"
end

puts date_select('foo')