desc "remotely console" 
task :console, :roles => :app do
  input = ''
  run "cd #{current_path} && ./script/console #{ENV['RAILS_ENV']}" do |channel, stream, data|
    next if data.chomp == input.chomp || data.chomp == ''
    print data
    channel.send_data(input = $stdin.gets) if data =~ /^(>|\?)>/
  end
end

desc "tail production log files" 
task :tail_logs, :roles => :app do
  run "tail -f #{shared_path}/log/production.log" do |channel, stream, data|
    puts  # for an extra line break before the host name
    puts "#{channel[:host]}: #{data}" 
    break if stream == :err    
  end
end

def block_to_partial(partial_name, options = {}, &block)
  options.merge!(:body => capture(&block))
  concat(render(:partial => partial_name, :locals => options), block.binding)
end

def sidebar_module(title, options = {}, &block)
  block_to_partial('shared/sidebar_module', options.merge(:title => title), &block)
end

<div <%= %[id="#{id}"] unless id.blank? %> class="sidebar_module">
  <h2><%= title %></h2>
  <%= body %>
</div>

<% sidebar_module 'Recent Stories' do %>
  <%= render :partial => 'recent_stories', :collection => @recent_stories %>
<% end %>

<Export>
  <Product>
    <SKU>403276</SKU>
    <ItemName>Trivet</ItemName>
    <CollectionNo>0</CollectionNo>
    <Pages>0</Pages>
  </Product>
</Export>

require 'hpricot'
FIELDS = %w[SKU ItemName CollectionNo Pages]

doc = Hpricot.parse(File.read("my.xml"))
(doc/:product).each do |xml_product|
  product = Product.new
  for field in FIELDS
    product[field] = (xml_product/field.intern).first.innerHTML
  end
  product.save
end

desc "Drop then recreate the dev database, migrate up, and load fixtures" 
task :remigrate => :environment do
  return unless %w[development test staging].include? RAILS_ENV
  ActiveRecord::Base.connection.tables.each { |t| ActiveRecord::Base.connection.drop_table t }
  Rake::Task[:migrate].invoke
  Rake::Task["db:fixtures:load"].invoke
end