From: Daniel Schierbeck <daniel.schierbeck@...>
Date: 2005-12-09T05:17:36+09:00
Subject: Re: Transparent Caching Idiom

beng wrote:
> 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>
> 

Neat. Though it would be cool if the methods that were to be cached were 
chosen through a class method rather than a method name suffix.

   class Klass
     def foo; end
     def bar; end
     cached_method :foo, :bar
   end


Cheers,
Daniel