From: "AlexandreMagro (Alexandre Magro) via ruby-core" <ruby-core@...>
Date: 2024-11-09T21:23:44+00:00
Subject: [ruby-core:119866] [Ruby master Feature#20770] A *new* pipe operator proposal

Issue #20770 has been updated by AlexandreMagro (Alexandre Magro).


lpogic (��ukasz Pomiet��o) wrote in #note-43:
> baweaver (Brandon Weaver) wrote in #note-41:
> > Frequently what folks are looking for is a nicer way to say this:
> > 
> > ```ruby
> > def some_method(v) = v + 1
> > 
> > 5.then(&method(:some_method))
> > ```
> 
> Some proxy object and method missing mechanism may be the way. Example: https://github.com/lpogic/procify

There���s no need for the syntax to take this route; using an explicit variable (last expression result variable "_") provides a clearer and more flexible solution. Languages that use pipes, as previously mentioned, have established standards for how parameters flow through the chain (typically as the first or last argument, depending on the language).

An explicit parameter addresses this, making the usage more intuitive and powerful.


----------------------------------------
Feature #20770: A *new* pipe operator proposal
https://bugs.ruby-lang.org/issues/20770#change-110557

* 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!






-- 
https://bugs.ruby-lang.org/
 ______________________________________________
 ruby-core mailing list -- ruby-core@ml.ruby-lang.org
 To unsubscribe send an email to ruby-core-leave@ml.ruby-lang.org
 ruby-core info -- https://ml.ruby-lang.org/mailman3/lists/ruby-core.ml.ruby-lang.org/