From: Matt Maycock <ummaycoc@...>
Date: 2005-03-24T08:23:39+09:00
Subject: Re: RCR 296: Destructive methods return self

So, why not have an operator -> such that
  obj->method(*args, &block)
is equivalent to (and more efficient than)
  lambda {
    obj.method(*args, &block)
    obj
  }
and, then you can add in ()'s around for better chaining:
  obj->(sort.replace(&blocky)) # Still returns obj

Then, with destructive methods, you can have
  obj->sort!->reject!(&no_like)...

I think this makes sense since the `.' operator is well known as the
`member' operator and for objects, gets the appropriate method (as far
as most languages go).  -> has the hanging notion of pointers from
c/c++, but it also makes a bit of conceptual sense here in that we're
sort of `piping' obj forward... the direction of forward is always ->
in left to right reading :-)

~Matt

-- 
There's no word in the English language for what you do to a dead
thing to make it stop chasing you.