From: matz@... (Yukihiro Matsumoto)
Date: 2001-02-15T01:30:12+09:00
Subject: [ruby-talk:10850] Re: Possible bug in Hash implementation

Hi,

In message "[ruby-talk:10842] Possible bug in Hash implementation"
    on 01/02/14, "Aristarkh A Zagorodnikov" <xm@w3d.ru> writes:

|	First, I want to excuse - because this may be not a bug in ruby, but a bug
|in my DNA ;)

It's not a bug, but I don't think it's your bug either. ;-)

In short, don't use `$='; it's too dangerous.

Here's a bit longer explanation:

Changing value of `$=' affects hash value of strings, e.g.

  a = "abCDEf"
  p a.hash      # 873054506
  $= = true
  p a.hash      # -153552695

Hashes are screwed up when hash values of keys are changed.
You have to call Hash#rehash if hash values are changed.
See "the book" page 129.

I think the problem lies on the fact there's no way to compare case
insensitively but using `$=' or regexp (or defining one's own class).

							matz.