From: Yukihiro Matsumoto <matz@...>
Date: 2006-10-10T17:03:47+09:00
Subject: Re: [ruby-cvs:18323] ruby: * eval.c (splat_value): use "to_splat" instead of "to_ary" to

Hi,

In message "Re: [ruby-cvs:18323] ruby: * eval.c (splat_value): use "to_splat" instead of "to_ary" to"
    on Tue, 10 Oct 2006 10:47:43 +0900, dblack@wobblini.net writes:

|> |I like to_list.  It's specific enough that misuse/overuse will be
|> |evident.  And even though "list" isn't a core class, it's a noun and
|> |also much more meaningful than "splat".
|>
|> Well, that name assumes we are converting an object into a list which
|> in reality an array.
|
|I'm thinking of a list as a kind of unwrapped array.  So, for example:
|
|   Hash[1,2,3,4]     # a list of four numbers -- no array involved
|   Hash[*[1,2,3,4]]  # an array originally, but unarrayed into
|                     #   a list of numbers

Understandable.  But some may feel different from the word List, for
example Linked List or something.

|The possible problem with to_values is that it suggests that what was
|there before the conversion was *not* values, which I think might be
|misleading.  to_args still seems too specific to me -- for example, in
|this:
|
|   [*0...10]
|
|there's nothing arg-related about what's happening to the range.

It was *a value* before conversion.

|I also have a question about the use of this method.  Do you think it
|would always be defined in terms of the * itself?  In other words:
|
|   class C
|     def initialize(a)
|       @array = a
|     end
|     def to_values
|       *a
|     end
|   end
|
|But then wouldn't it just return an array?  Or would the * still
|un-array it?
|
|   c = C.new([1,2,3,4])
|   Hash[*c]             # == Hash[1,2,3,4] ?
|
|But then... why have a separate definition?  I'm sure there's a reason
|-- I'm just not yet seeing how one would use it.

I am not sure I understand you here.  Here's little bit modified your
example.

   class C
     def initialize(a)
       @array = a
     end
     def to_values
       @array
     end
   end

   c = C.new([1,2,3,4])
   Hash[*c]             # == Hash[1,2,3,4]

Do you see any problem?

							matz.