require 'iconv'
require 'unicode'

class StringUtil

  def self.to_ascii(s)
    # split in muti-byte aware fashion and translate characters over 127
    # and dropping characters not in the translation hash
    s.chars.split('').collect { |c| (c[0] <= 127) ? c : translation_hash[c[0]] }.join
  end

  protected

    def self.translation_hash
      accented_chars   = "ÀÁÂÃÄÅÇÈÉÊËÌÍÎÏÐÑÒÓÔÕÖ×ØÙÚÛÜÝàáâãäåçèéêëìíîïñòóôõöøùúûüý".chars.split('')
      unaccented_chars = "AAAAAACEEEEIIIIDNOOOOOxOUUUUYaaaaaaceeeeiiiinoooooouuuuy".split('')

      translation_hash = {}
      accented_chars.each_with_index { |char, idx| translation_hash[char[0]] = unaccented_chars[idx] }
      translation_hash["Æ".chars[0]] = 'AE'
      translation_hash["æ".chars[0]] = 'ae'
      translation_hash
    end

end