From: Lloyd Zusman <ljz@...>
Date: 2004-07-30T23:31:50+09:00
Subject: Forward references?

Is there a way to define forward references to functions?  Due to my own
personal eccentricities, I like to have the main body of a program
appear at the top of its source file, and the functions it uses at the
end.

By "define forward reference", I mean something analogous to the
following C construct:

  static char* foo();  /* forward reference */
  static char* bar();  /* forward reference */

  main () {
    printf("%s\n", foo());
    printf("%s\n", bar());
    exit(0);
  }

  char* foo() {
    return ("foo");
  }

  char* bar() {
    return ("bar");
  }

If I could make use of forward references in ruby, the above program
could look something like this:

  # somehow, define a forward reference to function foo()

  # somehow, define a forward reference to function bar()

  # program starts here

  x = foo()
  y = bar()
  puts x
  puts y
  exit(0)

  # real function definitions ...

  def foo
    return "foo"
  end

  def bar
    return "bar"
  end

Am I totally out of luck, or is there some kind of ruby trick I can
perform which will give me this capability?

Thanks in advance.


-- 
 Lloyd Zusman
 ljz@asfast.com
 God bless you.