Access component helper class/functions from external file?

[cpaschen]

I have a component that I created in JCB.

I have a module that I manually created.

I need to use some functions from the component helper class in the module.

I can't find a way to access the functions from the module.

I've tried require_once but it doesn't seem to work. I either still get function not found or sometimes a 'white screen'.

Anyone else ever tried to do this and know the proper way to include/access that helper from external modules?

OR should I be creating a library file to handle this sort of thing?

[cpaschen]

OK ... found the issue.
The problem was that I was manually updating the admin helper file (the section where site and admin custom code goes - directly in the helper php file) and testing on the front-end, but didn't run a compile to push those changes to the front-end helper file as well.

So the module was running, trying to load the helper file, but the class was already loaded from the site helper file/class, but that class didn't have some of the functions in it that were added directly to the admin helper file.

SOLUTION - run a compile. Functions are now there on both site and admin and work as they should.

LESSON LEARNED - JCB is very flexible and allows you to make dumb errors like this. (But don't change it! It worked as it should. Just wish I did :-) )