## application_helper.rb

  # truncate markdown/textile and it won't complain about broken links
  # uses words instead of characters, there are 5 (+-1) characters per word (in English)

  def truncate(text, wordcount = 6, truncate_string = "...")
    if text.nil? then return end
      words = text.split(/\s+/)
      bad_chars = ['[','"', '!', '?', '*', '_', '-', '+', '^','~','%','(','{','\'']

    if words.size > wordcount
      out = ""
      for n in 0..wordcount do
        out << words[n] + ' ' unless ((n == wordcount) and (bad_chars.include?(words[n][0..0])))
      end
      out + truncate_string
    else
      text.to_s
    end
  end