From: Richard Lionheart <NoOne@...>
Date: 2004-05-19T06:20:08+09:00
Subject: Zero is true ... whoda thunk?

Hi,

I can't find anything in Programming Ruby to suggest why zero is treated as
true,  as happens in lines and 12 in the following toy program.  Is it
perhaps because Ruby has no boolean type,  so zero gets converted to a
string, or something?  Aside from an explantion,  can you cite a relevant
page in the Thomas&Hunt book?

Thanks in advance,
Richard

def count_exes(l)
        n = l.count "x"
end

DATA.each_line do |line|
    print line.chomp
    if n = count_exes(line) then print "\t(#{n} exes in line) [Pgm line 7]"
end
    if (n = count_exes(line)) > 0 then print "\t(additional note for
ex-lines)" end
    puts
end

puts "0 is " + (0?"true":"false") + " [Pgm line 12]"

__END__
Two 'xx's
Three 'xxx's
No ekses



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