From: Leslie Viljoen <leslieviljoen@...>
Date: 2006-05-07T01:30:06+09:00
Subject: Re: Sharp knives and glue

On 5/6/06, Dick Davies <rasputnik@gmail.com> wrote:
> On 06/05/06, Leslie Viljoen <leslieviljoen@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > ie. my function needs strings in culy braces. So the natural thing for
> > me would be this:
> >
> > class String
> >   def curlify
> >     "{"+self+"}"
> >   end
> > end
> >
> > This is where I need the curlies and it makes sense for them to be there.
>
> But then you've tampered with the very fabric of reality (HPL would be
> proud) [1].
>
> You could just modify the object you were passed:
>
> def func_that_needs_strings_to_have_a_curlify_method(str)
>   def str.curlify
>     "{" + self + "}"
>   end
>
>   # do something with str
> end
>
> This has the side effect on permanently adding a curlify method to whatever
> str points at, but not all Strings in the universe.
>
> You might not want that, of course - but it has less impact than
> modifying all strings. (If you only wanted that method to apply with your
> function, you could dup the object you were passed before meddling
> with it.

Yes... and if I have 50 functions that need curlify? How would I add
curlify to all strings that are passed to methods in my module, for
example?