From: Dave Thomas <dave@...>
Date: 2008-12-20T06:30:10+09:00
Subject: [ruby-core:20707] Re: [Feature #905] Add String.new(fixnum) to preallocate large buffer


On Dec 19, 2008, at 12:48 PM, Charles Oliver Nutter wrote:

> Neither of those methods are polymorphic on anything. They're both  
> new methods that accept a Fixnum.

.new is

String.buffer is not a meaningful name for a constructor, in my  
opinion, whereas String.new has a pedigree. By adding a initial_size:  
n optional argument, you exactly express the meaning�you're asking for  
an initial allocation when String.new executes. Similarly,

Array.new([1,2,3], initial_size: 100)

lets you both initialize and allocation a new array.


Right now, we have File.open("fred", "w"), rather than  
File.open_write("fred"). It seems like a good idea, particularly for  
an interface that's likely to grow over time (I can forsee

   String.new(initial_size: 1000, fill_with: " ", encoding: binary,  
etc: ...)

Cheers


Dave