diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 4aed2e790..6acd40534 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -109,6 +109,18 @@ react_component('HelloMessage', {name: 'John'}, {id: 'hello', class: 'foo', tag:
#
```
+### Controller helper
+
+There is also a controller helper `render_react_component` which is included so that you can specify a component as your view instead of an extra view file that only uses the `react_component` view helper.
+
+```ruby
+class TodoController < ApplicationController
+ def show
+ todos = Todos.all
+ render_react_component 'TodoList', { todos: todos }, prerender: true
+ end
+```
+
#### With JSON and Jbuilder
You can pass prepared JSON directly to the helper, as well.
diff --git a/lib/react/rails.rb b/lib/react/rails.rb
index 18466040c..a7db02c73 100644
--- a/lib/react/rails.rb
+++ b/lib/react/rails.rb
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
require 'react/rails/railtie'
require 'react/rails/engine'
+require 'react/rails/controller_helper'
require 'react/rails/view_helper'
diff --git a/lib/react/rails/controller_helper.rb b/lib/react/rails/controller_helper.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3573640af
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/react/rails/controller_helper.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+module React
+ module Rails
+ module ControllerHelper
+
+ # Render a React component as the view instead of
+ # a template from the app/views folder.
+ #
+ def render_react_component(name, args = {}, options = {}, &block)
+ __render_react_component_args = {
+ inline: '<%= react_component(*@__react_component_args, &@__react_component_block) %>',
+ layout: options.delete(:layout) || _layout.virtual_path
+ }
+
+ if status = options.delete(:status)
+ __render_react_component_args.merge!(status: status)
+ end
+
+ @__react_component_args = [name, args, options]
+ @__react_component_block = block
+
+ render __render_react_component_args
+ end
+
+ end
+ end
+end
diff --git a/lib/react/rails/railtie.rb b/lib/react/rails/railtie.rb
index ad287f41d..dc6208b29 100644
--- a/lib/react/rails/railtie.rb
+++ b/lib/react/rails/railtie.rb
@@ -26,6 +26,13 @@ class Railtie < ::Rails::Railtie
end
end
+ # Include the react-rails controller helper lazily
+ initializer "react_rails.setup_controller_helpers" do
+ ActiveSupport.on_load(:action_controller) do
+ include ::React::Rails::ControllerHelper
+ end
+ end
+
# run after all initializers to allow sprockets to pick up react.js and
# jsxtransformer.js from end-user to override ours if needed
initializer "react_rails.setup_vendor", :after => "sprockets.environment", group: :all do |app|
diff --git a/test/controller_helper_test.rb b/test/controller_helper_test.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6fcd254c7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/controller_helper_test.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+require 'test_helper'
+require 'support/setup_capybara'
+
+class ControllerHelperTest < ActionDispatch::IntegrationTest
+ include Capybara::DSL
+
+ setup do
+ @helper = ActionView::Base.new.extend(React::Rails::ViewHelper)
+ Capybara.current_driver = Capybara.javascript_driver
+ end
+
+ test 'uses a custom layout and status' do
+ get '/helper/1'
+
+ assert response.status == 218
+ assert response.body.include?('This is a different layout')
+ end
+
+ test 'renders the React component' do
+ get '/helper/1'
+
+ %w(data-react-class="Foo" data-react-props="{"bar":"value"}").each do |segment|
+ assert response.body.include?(segment)
+ end
+ end
+end
diff --git a/test/dummy/app/controllers/helper_controller.rb b/test/dummy/app/controllers/helper_controller.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..94e4abd58
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/dummy/app/controllers/helper_controller.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+class HelperController < ApplicationController
+ def show
+ @todos = %w{todo1 todo2 todo3}
+ render_react_component "Foo", {:bar => 'value'}, layout: 'custom', status: 218
+ end
+end
diff --git a/test/dummy/app/views/layouts/custom.html.erb b/test/dummy/app/views/layouts/custom.html.erb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5b4771bd4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/dummy/app/views/layouts/custom.html.erb
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+
+
+
+ Dummy
+ <%= stylesheet_link_tag "application", media: "all", "data-turbolinks-track" => true %>
+ <%= javascript_include_tag "application", "data-turbolinks-track" => true %>
+ <%= csrf_meta_tags %>
+
+
+
+This is a different layout
+<%= yield %>
+
+
+
diff --git a/test/dummy/config/routes.rb b/test/dummy/config/routes.rb
index daf2e2b04..03ecbd818 100644
--- a/test/dummy/config/routes.rb
+++ b/test/dummy/config/routes.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
Dummy::Application.routes.draw do
resources :pages, :only => [:show]
resources :server, :only => [:show]
+ resources :helper, :only => [:show]
end
diff --git a/test/support/setup_capybara.rb b/test/support/setup_capybara.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b4ee69966
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/support/setup_capybara.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+require 'capybara/rails'
+require 'capybara/poltergeist'
+
+Capybara.javascript_driver = :poltergeist
+Capybara.app = Rails.application
+
+# Useful for debugging.
+# Just put page.driver.debug in your test and it will
+# pause and throw up a browser
+Capybara.register_driver :poltergeist_debug do |app|
+ Capybara::Poltergeist::Driver.new(app, :inspector => true)
+end
+Capybara.javascript_driver = :poltergeist_debug
diff --git a/test/view_helper_test.rb b/test/view_helper_test.rb
index f9e3166e7..dc1069b4d 100644
--- a/test/view_helper_test.rb
+++ b/test/view_helper_test.rb
@@ -1,18 +1,5 @@
require 'test_helper'
-
-require 'capybara/rails'
-require 'capybara/poltergeist'
-
-Capybara.javascript_driver = :poltergeist
-Capybara.app = Rails.application
-
-# Useful for debugging.
-# Just put page.driver.debug in your test and it will
-# pause and throw up a browser
-Capybara.register_driver :poltergeist_debug do |app|
- Capybara::Poltergeist::Driver.new(app, :inspector => true)
-end
-Capybara.javascript_driver = :poltergeist_debug
+require 'support/setup_capybara'
class ViewHelperTest < ActionDispatch::IntegrationTest
include Capybara::DSL