From: "David A. Black" <dblack@...>
Date: 2005-10-08T21:23:38+09:00
Subject: bang methods (was: Re: select! not present but reject! is)

Hi --

On Sat, 8 Oct 2005, Devin Mullins wrote:

> David A. Black wrote:
>
>> The ! doesn't mean that a method modifies the receiver in place,
>> though, but rather that this is a "dangerous" version of the method
>> and should be used carefully.  The "danger" often has to do with
>> in-place change, but ! itself doesn't mean that.
>
> True, but the large majority of ! methods are simply in-place equivalents of 
> their non-bang friends:

[hundreds of lines of ri output snipped :-]

Heavens -- I think we all knew that already :-)  There's one that I
don't think you included: Tempfile#close! which closes and unlinks the
file.

One reason I think it's useful to remember the real meaning of ! is
that gives one a potentially useful tool to use in one's own classes.
I don't know how many people actually write bang methods.  I've done
it once or twice.


David

-- 
David A. Black
dblack@wobblini.net