From: Robert Dober <robert.dober@...>
Date: 2007-02-16T15:25:21+09:00
Subject: Re: Hash.new({}) astonishment

On 2/16/07, Marcello Barnaba <bofh@softmedia.info> wrote:
> >> h = Hash.new({})
> => {}
> >> h[:a][:b] = 1
You are assigning to the {}, gotten by the [:a]
look at this
irb#1(main):014:0> h[:a][:b]=42
=> 42
irb#1(main):015:0> o
=> {:b=>42}
irb#1(main):016:0> h
=> {}
irb#1(main):017:0>
irb#1(main):018:0*
irb#1(main):019:0* o={}
=> {}
irb#1(main):020:0>  h=Hash.new(o)
=> {}
irb#1(main):021:0>  h[:a][:b]=42
=> 42
irb#1(main):022:0> h[:c]=42
=> 42
irb#1(main):023:0> h
=> {:c=>42}
irb#1(main):024:0> o
=> {:b=>42}

or maybe even better

h=Hash.new({})
=> {}
irb#1(main):027:0> h[:a][:b]=42
=> 42
irb#1(main):028:0> h.default
=> {:b=>42}

It is completely normal that h is empty you were working with it's
default property

HTH
Robert
-- 
We have not succeeded in answering all of our questions.
In fact, in some ways, we are more confused than ever.
But we feel we are confused on a higher level and about more important things.
-Anonymous