From: Jamis Buck <jamis_buck@...>
Date: 2004-12-04T02:59:35+09:00
Subject: Re: Newbie question

Williams, Chris wrote:
> Hi all,
> 	I'm developing a rails web app here at work and I keep running into
> a common thing in terms of setting instance variables with the property of a
> form's parameter value. Basically I want the variable to take the
> parameter's value if it exists, and to otherwise use a reasonable default.
> 
> I keep writing code like this:
>     if @params["limit"]
>       @limit = @params["limit"]
>     else
>       @limit = 50
>     end
> 

>     if @params["chain"]
>       chain = @params["chain"]
>     else
>       chain = 1
>     end
> 
> Can someone please point me to a simpler, more succinct "ruby" way of doing
> this?


The || operator works beautifully in this kind of situation:

   @limit = @params["limit"] || 50
   chain = @params["chain"] || 1

> 
> Thanks,
> Chris
> 

- Jamis

-- 
Jamis Buck
jgb3@email.byu.edu
http://www.jamisbuck.org/jamis