From: "David A. Black" <dblack@...>
Date: 2005-04-22T09:14:42+09:00
Subject: Re: for .. in .. else?

Hi --

On Fri, 22 Apr 2005, Hal Fulton wrote:

> Ryan Leavengood wrote:
>> 
>> The above works (I tested it) but I think this is more Rubyish:
>> 
>> <table>
>>   <tr>
>>     <th>Songs</th>
>>   </tr>
>>   <% if song_list.empty? %>
>>     <tr>
>>       <td>no songs!</td>
>>     </tr>
>>   <% else song_list.each do |song|%>
>>       <tr>
>>         <td><%= song.name %></td>
>>       </tr>
>>     <% end %>
>>   <% end %>
>>   </tr>
>> </table>
>> 
>> i.e. get rid of the for entirely.
>
> I don't object to the 'for' (although I know some don't like it).

I don't usually like it, but for some reason I find myself sometimes
using it (and in this case not really noticing it was there) in these
templates.  I wonder if it's because <% list.each do |item| %> feels
weirdly truncated, visually.  I don't know.

> FWIW I'll offer this (untested) alternative:
>
> <table>
>   <tr><th>Songs</th></tr>
>   <% unless song_list.each do |song|%>
>     <tr><td><%= song.name %></td></tr>
>     <% end.empty? %>
>     <tr><td>no songs!</td></tr>
>   <% end %>
>   </tr>
> </table>

Interesting -- there was some IRC chatting the other day about the
question of whether the return value of Array#each was ever used.  I
don't think anyone could think of an example, but now we've got one
:-)


David

-- 
David A. Black
dblack@wobblini.net