[ruby-talk:17005] Re: Method overloading (option) Was: Re:

On Thu, 28 Jun 2001, Hugh Sasse Staff Elec Eng wrote:

> On Thu, 28 Jun 2001, Yukihiro Matsumoto wrote:

[...]

> >   def split(obj)
> >     a = []
> >     len = obj.size
> >     for i in 0...len
> >       a.push obj[i]
> >     end
> >     a
> >   end
> >
> >   p split("abc")        # [?a, ?b, ?c]
> >   p split([1,2,3])      # [1, 2, 3]
> >   p split(:foo)         # -:3:in `split': undefined method `size' for :foo:Symbol (NameError)
> >
> > the "split" takes any object that responds to "size" and "[]".  "size"
> > and "[]" are protocol this case.
>
> OK, thank you.  That is clear.  Now, one can add (I'm writing this
> like a patch) :
>
>     def split(obj)
>       a = []
> +     return a unless obj.respond_to?(:size)
> +     return a unless obj.respond_to?(:[])
>       len = obj.size
>       for i in 0...len
>
> and so on for the other methods one might use, but how does that get around
> having to refer to methods in more than one place, that I asked about?

Maybe just handle the exception:

   def split(obj)
     a = []
     begin
       len = obj.size
       for i in 0...len
	 a.push obj[i]
       end
     rescue NameError
     end
     a
   end


I'm not sure whether that might be casting too wide a net, though --
i.e., whether there might be a case where a NameError might come
about for some unrelated reason and you'd want it handled elsewhere.
Still, I think that for this kind of many-to-one error-to-outcome
ratio, exceptions might be a good way to go.


David

-- 
David Alan Black
home: [e-mail]
work: [e-mail]
Web:  http://pirate.shu.edu/~blackdav