Providing a common interface for models to convert to for example a JSON structure

json_trees.rb

# Put these modules and classes in separate files of course

module ToTree
  
  # Module that will handle the conversion to a generic hashlike structure
  # and also provides a common interface for model specific modules
    
  def to_tree(uri_method)
    self.tree_attributes.merge('url' => uri_method.call(self)) # We will use the method passed in from the controller to construct the url
  end
  
  def tree_attributes
    raise NotImplementedError
  end
  
end

module MyModelToTree
  include ToTree
  
  # Make a module for each model you want to convert to a hash like structure,
  # naming it appropriately (CompanyToTree, UserToTree).
  # We will include it in the model afterwards, but it keeps the conversion
  # separated
  
  def tree_attributes
    { 
      'title' => self.some_title_field,
      'desc' => self.some_description_field
    }
  end
  
end

class MyModel < ActiveRecord::Base
  include MyModelToTree
  
  # The rest of your actual model code
  
end

class MySearchController < ApplicationController
  
  def index
    search_results = Search.collect_lots_of_different_objects
    render :json => search_results.collect{|result| result.to_tree(method(:polymorphic_path))} # polymorphic path will work for RESTful resource based routes
  end
  
  
end