[ruby-core:18038] Re: New array methods cycle, choice, shuffle (plus bug in cycle)

On Thu, Jul 31, 2008 at 7:50 PM, Yukihiro Matsumoto <[e-mail]> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> In message "Re: [ruby-core:18036] Re: New array methods cycle, choice, shuffle (plus bug in cycle)"
>    on Fri, 1 Aug 2008 08:33:15 +0900, Charles Oliver Nutter <[e-mail]> writes:
>
> |choice is a noun. choose, map, select, collect, etc are imperative
> |verbs. So choose much more consistent with the others. Also, choice
> |implies to me that it's already been made...since you can't have a
> |choice unless you've already made a "choice". In essence, a "choice" is
> |the product of "choosing" something. So ary.choose produces a choice.
>
> Interestingly Python chose "choice" for the method.  Does anyone have
> any additional info?

If feel like this sort of makes sense:

a = [1,2,3].choose

a is some element of [1,2,3] that Array has chosen for me.

But in my mind,

a = [1,2,3].choice

Doesn't seem very clear.   Mostly for the same reasons Charlie suggested.

I still think

a = [1,2,3].rand

is probably nicer.  Here I think either a is going to be some
randomized sort of the array, or it's going to be a single random
element.  In either case, after calling it once, I think I'd be able
to remember it easy enough.  I feel random_element is too verbose.