start of making nickname optional

app/helpers/application_helper.rb

@@ -139,13 +139,6 @@ module ApplicationHelper
       :target => "_blank"
   end
   
-  # offers a link for writing message to user
-  # checks for nil (useful for relations)
-  def link_to_user_message_if_valid(user)
-    user.nil? ? '??' : link_to(user.nick, new_message_path('message[mail_to]' => user.id),
-                               :title => I18n.t('helpers.application.write_message'))
-  end
-
   def bootstrap_flash
     flash_messages = []
     flash.each do |type, message|
@@ -167,4 +160,31 @@ module ApplicationHelper
     render :partial => 'shared/base_errors', :locals => {:error_messages => messages}
   end
 
+  # show a user, depending on settings
+  def show_user(user=@current_user, options = {})#full: false, markup: false, unique: false)
+    if user.nil?
+      "?"
+    elsif FoodsoftConfig[:use_nick]
+      if options[:full] and options[:markup]
+        raw "<b>#{h user.nick}</b> (#{h user.first_name} #{h user.last_name})"
+      elsif options[:full]
+        "#{user.nick} (#{user.first_name} #{user.last_name})"
+      else
+        user.nick
+      end
+    else
+      "#{user.first_name} #{user.last_name}" + (options[:unique] ? " (\##{user.id})" : '')
+    end
+  end
+
+  # render user presentation linking to default action (write message)
+  def show_user_link(user=@current_user)
+    if user.nil?
+      show_user user
+    else
+      link_to show_user(user), new_message_path('message[mail_to]' => user.id),
+                               :title => I18n.t('helpers.application.write_message')
+    end
+  end
+
 end