From: Daniel Amelang <daniel.amelang@...>
Date: 2005-06-30T13:50:42+09:00
Subject: Re: iterators and block arguments

Well, let's look at what our code looks like now vs. how it would look:

# Current way
def meth(num)
  yield(num) if block_given?
end

meth 42 { |num| puts num }


# Unified block/proc way
def meth(num, block=nil)
  block.call(num) if block
end

meth 42, { |num| puts num }


Nothing too strange, except for that comma in the argument list when
you call the method, since the block is now just a regular parameter.

So when you call 'inject' now, it'd look like this:

sum = [1,2,3].inject 0, { |s, n| s + n }

That comma does look a little funny. Not a big deal, though.

Where's David Black? He usually beats these heretical ideas down pretty fast. :)

Seriously, though, getting rid of the yield keyword, block_given?, the
whole & thing for converting between blocks/procs and the concept of
blocks now being just regular parameters is a big change. The result
would border on a whole different language.

It is _conceptually_ pleasing to unify them. Does it really make our
lives easier?

Dan