From: Robert Klemme <shortcutter@...>
Date: 2006-09-11T23:35:34+09:00
Subject: Re: string as nil or empty string?

aidy wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> With everything in Ruby being an object, should a string be initialised
> as an empty string
> 
> e.g. 
> 
> a_string = ""
> 
> or nil
> 
> e.g 
> 
> a_string = nil 

It depends on the circumstances.

However, an additional note: it may be that you have a misconception 
about variables in Ruby.  Although you named it "a_string" this variable 
is typeless and it could hold a reference to *any* Ruby object.  So 
a_string "is" not a String as long as it doesn't point to one.  And you 
cannot initialize a String with nil either:

irb(main):003:0> String.new nil
TypeError: can't convert nil into String
         from (irb):3:in `initialize'
         from (irb):3
         from :0
irb(main):004:0> String.new "foo"
=> "foo"

HTH

Kind regards

	robert