From: Devin Mullins <twifkak@...>
Date: 2006-09-28T11:05:52+09:00
Subject: Re: Idiomatic file snarf

Eero Saynatkari wrote:
> On 2006.09.28 07:02, Tim Bray wrote:
>>Currently I have
>>      f = File.new(fname)
>>      text = f.read
>>      f.close
> A better way for the above is this:
>   text = File.open(file_name) {|f| f.read}
To expand on that: the form that takes a block automatically calls 
f.close when the block is done. What's more, it does it in an *ensure 
clause*, you scr1pt k1ddie.

Also, Kernel#open exists. So: text = open(file_name) {|f| f.read}

What's more, if you're dealing with files on a linely basis, 
File.include? Enumerable, so you can do fun things like:
   matches = open(file_name) {|f| f.grep(/juicy stuff/)}
To return an Array of matching lines without having to bring the whole 
file into memory. (Though, if you don't care about memory, 
File.readlines(file_name).grep /juicy stuff/ is prettier.)

Devin