Rails - Apr 2006 - Custom path overriding - routes.rb

I want to be able to have custom URL paths to some of my data.

For example, I might have some entries in my "item" table like:
  id=1, title="Test", path="/test.html", content="some
test content..."
  id=2, title="Example", path="/another/example/",
content="some
example content..."
  id=3, title="Some more", 
path="/however_convoluted/I/want/to/make_it.whatever",
content="etc."

With the regular scaffolding and routes.rb setup, I can have paths 
like /item/view/1, /item/view/2, etc., for these examples, but I also 
want to be able to have the /test.html, /another/example/, etc., 
paths work.

I''d be happy with being able to catch cases where none of the 
map.connect specified routes in routes.rb. I''d then want to do a 
lookup against my item table to see if I have a matching path, setting
   :controller => "item", :action => "view", :id =>
item.id
in those cases where I do, and letting control pass through to the 
usual "invalid route" error handler when I don''t have an item
for the
path.

So, is there someway to specify a special handler for routes.rb where 
I could have something like:
   map.connect ''*'', { |path| my_block_of_functions }
where the block would be responsible for turning a dictionary of 
{:controller, :action, :id} values or nil if the path isn''t handled? 
Or something along those lines?

It would also be handy to be able to put such a function/block at the 
to of the routes.rb, so I could potentially override any controller 
path, and pass along to the rest of the routes.rb if I don''t have an 
overriding path.

Thanks!