From: Eric Armstrong <Eric.Armstrong@...>
Date: 2006-07-21T04:03:52+09:00
Subject: recursion in scripts -- global variables required?

Is it me, or is it pretty much impossible
to write a recursive script in ruby unless
you use global variables?

I have a simple countdown timer. I
set up the number of seconds to sleep,
sleep for a while, and then beep.

A single run is easily done in a script
(code below). The problems start when
I define a run method and recurse.

Unless I use global variables, there
doesn't seem to be any way for the
variables to get the data.

Is that about it?


Initial Script
--------------
#!/usr/bin/env ruby

# Beeps and character I/O
require 'curses'
include Curses

@seconds = 10
@minutes = 0
@hours = 0

#def run
   timeremaining = (3600 * @hours)
                 + (60 * @minutes)
                 + @seconds
   puts "sleeping for " + time_remaining.to_s
   timeremaining.downto(0) do |i|
     sleep(1)
     print i.to_s + ".."
   end
   puts
   beep; beep; beep
   sleep 1
   beep; beep; beep
   sleep 1
   beep; beep; beep

# run
#end

#run