From: Eric Hodel <drbrain@...7.net>
Date: 2005-07-01T18:13:33+09:00
Subject: String vs Array [Was: shift vs. slice!(0) and others]

On 30 Jun 2005, at 21:57, Daniel Brockman wrote:

> Eric Hodel <drbrain@segment7.net> writes:
>
>>> OT... does anybody else hate it that the String and Array API's
>>> have suttle differences and lack methods of the other?
>
>> No, I don't notice it at all.  Strings aren't Arrays and Arrays
>> aren't Strings.  They only look the same if you squint really hard.
>
> Which is exactly what Jason was complaining about.
> You *shouldn't* have to squint to make them look alike.

I have never needed them to look alike much beyond << and empty?.   
The differences between the two are what I appreciate about the  
differences.  I want String to be good at being a String, and Array  
to be good at being a collection.  Interface unity takes back seat.   
(If I have to work with individual characters, split '' has been more  
than adequate.)

How have you needed them to look alike?

In any event, the gap is hardly insurmountable:

class String
   def shift
     return nil if empty?
     chr = self[0].chr
     replace self[1..-1]
     return chr
   end
end

-- 
Eric Hodel - drbrain@segment7.net - http://segment7.net
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