From: Gavin Sinclair <gsinclair@...>
Date: 2004-12-10T06:43:09+09:00
Subject: Re: String#split behaves odd

On Friday, December 10, 2004, 7:24:42 AM, trans. wrote:

> | Small caveat: remember that Array#delete returns the thing deleted,
> | not the array, so you can't chain it as you would #compact.

> Good catch. Enough reason to have something for it, I think. I may add a
> general method to my libs:

>   class Array
>     def compact_on(n=nil)
>       if n
>         delete(n)
>       else
>         compact
>       end
>       self
>     end
>   end

> Better name? Or better solution?

Array#compact

It doesn't currently take a parameter, so allow it to take one.  FWIW
I think Array#delete should be deprecated, and Array#compact extended
in this fashion.  I don't see a good rationale for the return value of
Array#delete, and when a method is called #delete there is always
confusion about whether it's destructive.

Ruby spoils us so much that when you have to look something up in the
docs a few times you feel cheated :)

Gavin