From: Vincent Fourmond <vincent.fourmond@9online.fr>
Date: 2007-01-10T08:31:36+09:00
Subject: Re: Why is there a seperate Math class?

Daniel Finnie wrote:
> Why does everything have to be Math.<func>(num)?  Isn't num.func more
> object oriented-ish?
> 
> For example:
>>> (Math.methods - Object.methods).select {|x| Math.method(x).arity ==
> 1}.each do |x|
> ?>     Numeric.class_eval { ?>       define_method(x.to_sym) {
> Math.send(x.to_sym, self) } >>     }
>>>   end
> => ["tan", "frexp", "sinh", "exp", "acos", "tanh", "log", "asin",
> "acosh", "cos", "log10", "atan", "erf", "asinh", "sin", "sqrt", "cosh",
> "erfc", "atanh"]
>>> *5.sqrt*
> => 2.23606797749979
>>> *Math.sqrt(5)*
> => 2.23606797749979
>>>

  I have to say I'm very happy with that sort of things, as in a program
of my own, (plotting scientific data), the user just can say

ctioga --math 'sin(x)'

to plot the sine of x.

It would be confusing for a non rubyist to run

ctioga --math 'x.sin'

  Wouldn't it ? Don't forget in this particular case, syntax can have
impact on non-programming users... Cheers !

	Vince


-- 
Vincent Fourmond, PhD student
http://vincent.fourmond.neuf.fr/