From: Kero <kero@...>
Date: 2005-08-02T21:56:05+09:00
Subject: Re: (mis)?use of method_missing

>> >    6.days_from_now
>> >    345.days_from_now
>> Ooh, I like that, thanks.

I don't. What does an Integer have to know about times and dates?

irb(main):001:0> 3 + Time.now
TypeError: Time can't be coerced into Fixnum
	from (irb):1:in `+'
        from (irb):1
irb(main):002:0> Time.now + 3
=> Tue Aug 02 14:20:43 CEST 2005
		

> This sort of thing is very useful.
> irb(main):004:0> a = 4.days.ago
>=> Fri Jul 29 05:08:19 MDT 2005

Minute = 60
Hour = 60 * Minute
Day = 24 * Hour
Week = 7 * Day

### Disadvantages:
#  - Can't spell out month
#  - need different constants in Time/Date, etc.
#    but then, 3.days.from(Time.now) and 3.days.from(Date.today)
#    is going to stink too, unless you introduce a Day or Duration class...

### Advantages:
#  - no 'readable' methods polluting Integer namespace.

a = Time.now - 4*Days

> irb(main):005:0> b = a.from_now(1.week)
>=> Fri Aug 05 05:08:19 MDT 2005

b = a + Week
# I'm much shorter here and I don't have the confusing word "now" in the
# code.

> irb(main):006:0> c = 2.weeks.since(b)
>=> Fri Aug 19 05:08:19 MDT 2005

c = b + 2*Week

[snip]

> irb(main):020:0> b.last_month.to_time
>=> Wed Jun 29 05:25:20 MDT 2005
> irb(main):021:0> b.next_month.to_time
>=> Mon Aug 29 05:25:20 MDT 2005

please use "next" and "prev" (as well as "last" and "first" :P )
in pairs.

if anything, last_month should be a class method, like Time.now()

Bye,
Kero.