From: Corey Konrad <0011@...>
Date: 2007-03-16T09:33:39+09:00
Subject: Re: to_a

Ash wrote:
> On Mar 15, 8:07 pm, Corey Konrad <0...@hush.com> wrote:
>>
>> what do the () in the above example do that makes it work?
>>
>> thanks
>>
>> --
>> Posted viahttp://www.ruby-forum.com/.
> 
> The issue isn't with the parentheses, but with the behavior of the
> #to_a method.  #to_a does not modify its receiver.  Instead, it builds
> a new instance of Array and returns it.  In the first example, you're
> capturing the return value of #to_a and assigning it to the variable
> "array".  In the second, you're assigning a Range to the variable
> "array", calling #to_a on it, and tossing the Array you get back on
> the floor.
> 
> To make the second example work properly, you need to capture the
> return value in a new variable and use that instead:
> 
> array = 1..8
> result = array.to_a
> puts result[1]

i am not sure if i understand...so to_a doesnt actually transform the 
range into an array it just creates a new array object. That still 
doesnt explain why the first one using the () works though when i remove 
the () it doesnt work. I dont know this stuff is really confusing. I 
started learning ruby because i heard it was an easy and intuitive 
language but it seems pretty difficult.

-- 
Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/.