From: ara.t.howard@...
Date: 2006-08-21T23:52:13+09:00
Subject: Re: working around "single-pass" constraint

On Mon, 21 Aug 2006, Rich Morin wrote:

> I like to order my program code files as follows:
>
>  Initial comment header
>
   require statements, etc.

   "main" code

   BEGIN{
     method definitions
   }

note that there are also END{} blocks

> (e.g., main :-) and invoke it at the end of the file, I
> can get around this issue.  I also like the fact that it
> (a) puts the code at the same level of indentation as the
> code in my methods and (b) limits the scope of variables:
>
>  #!/usr/bin/env ruby -w
>  #
>  # foo - code formatting demo
>
>  def main
>    bar
>  end
>
>  def bar
>    puts 'Hi!'
>  end
>
>  main

if you take tis to the next step it's really useful

   class Main
     def foo
     end
     def bar
     end
     def run
       foo and bar
     end
   end

   Main.new(ENV, ARGV).run if $0 == __FILE__


the reason is that it allows your program to be used as a library without
polluting the global namespace.

regards.

-a
-- 
to foster inner awareness, introspection, and reasoning is more efficient than
meditation and prayer.
- h.h. the 14th dali lama