From: David Vallner <david@...>
Date: 2006-12-17T04:11:36+09:00
Subject: Re: Just some Ruby language ideas, comments wanted.

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Devin Mullins wrote:
>> This would allow things like:
>> ary =3D [4, nil, 6, nil]
>> ary.select{|x| x.nil?}[1].set(2)
>> ary # =3D> [4, nil, 6, 2]
> May I suggest:
>   ary.select{|x| x.nil?}[1] =3D 2
> as a better interface.
>=20

This wouldn't work with the current semantics of select, since select
returns a filtered copy of the array.

I'm not sure I'd like if select returned some subclass of array that
overrides []=3D to propagate changes back to the original one. First and
foremost, potential massive code breakage without solving an actual use
case. Secondly, it's emulating poor man's variable references that
doesn't quite fit into Ruby. (Overall I don't see the use of this sort
of collection view pattern much.)

Maybe as part of Enumerator or Facets or a similar Library Of Somewhat
Generic Spiffy Things, but not in the standard library, and definately
not in a codebreaking way.

David Vallner


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