unless String.instance_methods.include?('underscore')
  begin
    # being selective if activesupport 3.0.x 
    require 'active_support/inflector/methods'
    require 'active_support/inflector/inflections'

    # including the string extension directly require i18l gem, which is lame when not needed :(
    
    
    # String inflections define new methods on the String class to transform names for different purposes.
    # For instance, you can figure out the name of a database from the name of a class.
    #
    #   "ScaleScore".tableize # => "scale_scores"
    #
    class String
      # Returns the plural form of the word in the string.
      #
      #   "post".pluralize             # => "posts"
      #   "octopus".pluralize          # => "octopi"
      #   "sheep".pluralize            # => "sheep"
      #   "words".pluralize            # => "words"
      #   "the blue mailman".pluralize # => "the blue mailmen"
      #   "CamelOctopus".pluralize     # => "CamelOctopi"
      def pluralize
        ActiveSupport::Inflector.pluralize(self)
      end

      # The reverse of +pluralize+, returns the singular form of a word in a string.
      #
      #   "posts".singularize            # => "post"
      #   "octopi".singularize           # => "octopus"
      #   "sheep".singularize            # => "sheep"
      #   "word".singularize             # => "word"
      #   "the blue mailmen".singularize # => "the blue mailman"
      #   "CamelOctopi".singularize      # => "CamelOctopus"
      def singularize
        ActiveSupport::Inflector.singularize(self)
      end

      # +constantize+ tries to find a declared constant with the name specified
      # in the string. It raises a NameError when the name is not in CamelCase
      # or is not initialized.
      #
      # Examples
      #   "Module".constantize # => Module
      #   "Class".constantize  # => Class
      def constantize
        ActiveSupport::Inflector.constantize(self)
      end

      # By default, +camelize+ converts strings to UpperCamelCase. If the argument to camelize
      # is set to <tt>:lower</tt> then camelize produces lowerCamelCase.
      #
      # +camelize+ will also convert '/' to '::' which is useful for converting paths to namespaces.
      #
      #   "active_record".camelize                # => "ActiveRecord"
      #   "active_record".camelize(:lower)        # => "activeRecord"
      #   "active_record/errors".camelize         # => "ActiveRecord::Errors"
      #   "active_record/errors".camelize(:lower) # => "activeRecord::Errors"
      def camelize(first_letter = :upper)
        case first_letter
          when :upper then ActiveSupport::Inflector.camelize(self, true)
          when :lower then ActiveSupport::Inflector.camelize(self, false)
        end
      end
      alias_method :camelcase, :camelize

      # Capitalizes all the words and replaces some characters in the string to create
      # a nicer looking title. +titleize+ is meant for creating pretty output. It is not
      # used in the Rails internals.
      #
      # +titleize+ is also aliased as +titlecase+.
      #
      #   "man from the boondocks".titleize # => "Man From The Boondocks"
      #   "x-men: the last stand".titleize  # => "X Men: The Last Stand"
      def titleize
        ActiveSupport::Inflector.titleize(self)
      end
      alias_method :titlecase, :titleize

      # The reverse of +camelize+. Makes an underscored, lowercase form from the expression in the string.
      #
      # +underscore+ will also change '::' to '/' to convert namespaces to paths.
      #
      #   "ActiveRecord".underscore         # => "active_record"
      #   "ActiveRecord::Errors".underscore # => active_record/errors
      def underscore
        ActiveSupport::Inflector.underscore(self)
      end

      # Replaces underscores with dashes in the string.
      #
      #   "puni_puni" # => "puni-puni"
      def dasherize
        ActiveSupport::Inflector.dasherize(self)
      end

      # Removes the module part from the constant expression in the string.
      #
      #   "ActiveRecord::CoreExtensions::String::Inflections".demodulize # => "Inflections"
      #   "Inflections".demodulize                                       # => "Inflections"
      def demodulize
        ActiveSupport::Inflector.demodulize(self)
      end

      # Replaces special characters in a string so that it may be used as part of a 'pretty' URL.
      #
      # ==== Examples
      #
      #   class Person
      #     def to_param
      #       "#{id}-#{name.parameterize}"
      #     end
      #   end
      #
      #   @person = Person.find(1)
      #   # => #<Person id: 1, name: "Donald E. Knuth">
      #
      #   <%= link_to(@person.name, person_path %>
      #   # => <a href="/person/1-donald-e-knuth">Donald E. Knuth</a>
      def parameterize(sep = '-')
        ActiveSupport::Inflector.parameterize(self, sep)
      end

      # Creates the name of a table like Rails does for models to table names. This method
      # uses the +pluralize+ method on the last word in the string.
      #
      #   "RawScaledScorer".tableize # => "raw_scaled_scorers"
      #   "egg_and_ham".tableize     # => "egg_and_hams"
      #   "fancyCategory".tableize   # => "fancy_categories"
      def tableize
        ActiveSupport::Inflector.tableize(self)
      end

      # Create a class name from a plural table name like Rails does for table names to models.
      # Note that this returns a string and not a class. (To convert to an actual class
      # follow +classify+ with +constantize+.)
      #
      #   "egg_and_hams".classify # => "EggAndHam"
      #   "posts".classify        # => "Post"
      #
      # Singular names are not handled correctly.
      #
      #   "business".classify # => "Busines"
      def classify
        ActiveSupport::Inflector.classify(self)
      end

      # Capitalizes the first word, turns underscores into spaces, and strips '_id'.
      # Like +titleize+, this is meant for creating pretty output.
      #
      #   "employee_salary" # => "Employee salary"
      #   "author_id"       # => "Author"
      def humanize
        ActiveSupport::Inflector.humanize(self)
      end

      # Creates a foreign key name from a class name.
      # +separate_class_name_and_id_with_underscore+ sets whether
      # the method should put '_' between the name and 'id'.
      #
      # Examples
      #   "Message".foreign_key        # => "message_id"
      #   "Message".foreign_key(false) # => "messageid"
      #   "Admin::Post".foreign_key    # => "post_id"
      def foreign_key(separate_class_name_and_id_with_underscore = true)
        ActiveSupport::Inflector.foreign_key(self, separate_class_name_and_id_with_underscore)
      end
    end
  rescue Exception => e
    require 'activesupport'
  end
end