From: beng <b@...>
Date: 2005-12-09T04:07:35+09:00
Subject: Transparent Caching Idiom

I've made good use of this idiom recently, and wanted to share it.

Once this code is active, any method named with a "_c" suffix is
automatically cached. The method is assumed to follow a simple
contract: It performs no side-effects / mutations, and it's arguments
properly implement "Object.hash".

This is specifically useful for expensive but functional calculations.
Enjoy!

--Ben (b@gimpert.com)

# <code>
class Class

    alias old_new new
    def new(*args, &block)
        Class.defc_wrap(old_new(*args, &block))
    end

    def Class.defc_wrap(obj)
        klass = obj.class
        defc_methods = obj.methods.select { |n| n =~ /_c$/ }
        defc_methods.each do |name|
            meth = obj.method(name)
            wrapped_name = Class.defc_next_name(klass)
            cache = klass.class_eval("@#{wrapped_name} = {}")
            wrapper = Proc.new do |*args_a|
                arg_hash = args_a.hash
                if cache.has_key?(arg_hash)
                    cache[arg_hash]
                else
                    cache[arg_hash] = meth.call(*args_a)
                end
            end
            klass.send(:alias_method, wrapped_name, name)
            klass.send(:define_method, name, wrapper)
        end
        obj
    end

    def Class.defc_next_name(obj)
        klass = obj.class
        i = 1
        i += 1 while obj.respond_to?("_defc_#{i}") ||
obj.instance_variables.member?("@_defc_#{i}")
        "_defc_#{i}"
    end

end
</code>