[ruby-core:119365] [Ruby master Feature#20770] A *new* pipe operator proposal

Issue #20770 has been updated by vo.x (Vit Ondruch).


Code like `add(value, 3)` is hardly some idiomatic Ruby. If it was be Ruby, then you'd likely use `value.add(3)` or `value + 3`. Other examples of readable code are [here](https://poignant.guide/book/chapter-3.html). I can't see what is readable about the new operator.

Also, I'd say that `Math` module is bad example in general, because it seems to be influenced by commonly used math notation. But arguably, having something like `Math::PI.cos` or `3.14.cos` would be quite natural for Ruby.

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Feature #20770: A *new* pipe operator proposal
https://bugs.ruby-lang.org/issues/20770#change-109978

* Author: AlexandreMagro (Alexandre Magro)
* Status: Open
----------------------------------------
Hello,

This is my first contribution here. I have seen previous discussions around introducing a pipe operator, but it seems the community didn't reach a consensus. I would like to revisit this idea with a simpler approach, more of a syntactic sugar that aligns with how other languages implement the pipe operator, but without making significant changes to Ruby's syntax.

Currently, we often write code like this:

```ruby
value = half(square(add(value, 3)))
```

We can achieve the same result using the `then` method:

```ruby
value = value.then { add(_1, 3) }.then { square(_1) }.then { half(_1) }
```

While `then` helps with readability, we can simplify it further using the proposed pipe operator:

```ruby
value = add(value, 3) |> square(_1) |> half(_1)
```

Moreover, with the upcoming `it` feature in Ruby 3.4 (#18980), the code could look even cleaner:

```ruby
value = add(value, 3) |> square(it) |> half(it)
```

This proposal uses the anonymous block argument `(_1)`, and with `it`, it simplifies the code without introducing complex syntax changes. It would allow us to achieve the same results as in other languages that support pipe operators, but in a way that feels natural to Ruby, using existing constructs like `then` underneath.

I believe this operator would enhance code readability and maintainability, especially in cases where multiple operations are chained together.

Thank you for considering this proposal!






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