From: Matt Maycock <ummaycoc@...>
Date: 2005-03-24T10:26:45+09:00
Subject: Re: RCR 296: Destructive methods return self

>   h = obj.strip!
>   r, c = h[:result], h[:changed]
> 
> So how can these two become integrated and consistent?
> 
> T.

strip_result, strip_changed = *obj.strip!.values_at(:result, :changed)

or, if you do the following (untested, but assumed true due to my
infalliability?  we can just assume I'm infalliable for the next few
lines - then back to normal falliability):

class Hash
  def [] (*args)
    return self.fetch(args[0], self.default) if args.length == 1
    return self.values_at(*args)
  end
end

then we can have
strip_result, strip_changed = *obj.strip!()[:result, :changed]


then, you could have things like
  if obj.strip!()[:changed] then...
  end

or
  meow = obj.strip!()[:result]

however, I can see some complaints aesthetics wise about the () in
there.  What we need is keyboards with more than just <{[()]}> for
bookends...

maybe have it hash indexing be syntactically wonderful instead of methody?

then, we could have
   hash[|key|]
and making this not methody means we could do something like
  meow = obj.strip![|:result|]

note that just suggestions, and pulling from that other thread... I'm
okay with typing a bit more.

~Matt

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