From: Shan-leung Maverick WOO <maverick@...>
Date: 2001-07-20T00:07:15+09:00
Subject: [ruby-talk:18125] Re: An exercise in minimalism

OK, humbly this is _much_ longer than Chris Moline's:

> k=$*[0].to_i;n=k/2;r=-n..n;r.each{|i|r.each{|j|putc i.abs+j.abs<=n ? "#":" "if k%2+j.abs!=0};puts}

It should be exactly 98 characters. 

This constraint approach generalizes quite well for various patterns. You
can change the condition to fit the problem definition. Say to get a circle:

(formatted for human)

k = $*[0].to_i
n = k/2
r = -n..n
r.each { |i|
  r.each { |j|
    putc i**2 + j**2 <= n**2? "#" : " " if k % 2 + j.abs != 0
  }
  puts
}

or try this condition instead:

putc (((i % 2 == 1 && i.abs <= j.abs) || 
       (j % 2 == 1 && j.abs <= i.abs)) ? "#" : " ") if k % 2 + j.abs != 0

Cheers!

-- 
All the best,
Maverick Woo