From: Brian Candler <B.Candler@...>
Date: 2008-08-05T22:52:44+09:00
Subject: [ruby-core:18130] Re: New array methods cycle, choice, shuffle (plus bug in cycle)

> Seriously though... Array.first is a noun.

Really? I read it as an adjective: "[the] first [element of the Array]"

I can think of a few cases where it's used as a noun:

  "I got a first" [class degree]

  "I shifted from first to second" [gear]

Although if there is any agreement in this thread, it will certainly be a
first :-)

Regards,

Brian.

P.S. FWIW, I feel that extra trivial methods to Array bloat the API, and
just make it harder to find the (important core) method you need when
searching the documentation.

If this continues, in the end it may become attractive to look away from
Ruby to other, simpler, leaner languages.

There were a number of substantive additions which were made from 1.6 to
1.8, such as StringIO. But for me, a method which just does
Array#sort_by{rand} doesn't fall into this class - it seems to be
change for change's sake.

If there are no good ideas left, perhaps things should be left as they are.
Or does that make me a heretic?

End rant.