From: Robert Dober <robert.dober@...>
Date: 2007-04-29T23:16:06+09:00
Subject: Re: Array.which_long? ( I coded an extension for Array )

On 4/29/07, Billy Hsu <ruby.maillist@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi, I'm CFC
> I'm new at here.
> Nice to meet you:)
Likewise and welcome to the list :)

>
> I just coded an extension for Array.
> It will return the longest element of an array.
I hope you posted this for comments, if not just ignore my post, you
will be in good company ;)

Before I go into the details, one important point, ruby classes are
open which is one of the features of Ruby I like most, *but* be
careful with this, I use it a lot, but my rule is, never do this in a
library, or a program that might be designed for reuse, exceptions are
of course libraries which just do that, IOW libraries that are
designed and documented as an extensions of a core class.
> Source:
>
> class Array
>   def which_long?
>     # Version 1.0
>     # Coded by CFC < zusocfc @ gmail . com >
>     # PLEASE DO NOT REMOVE THE COMMENT OF THIS FUNCTION, THANKS A LOT.
>     # Usage:
>     #   ['a', 'ab', 'abc' 1234].which_long?
>     #   => 1234
>     max, long, self_cpy = 0, "", []
>     self.size.times{|i| self_cpy << self[i].to_s}
>     self_cpy.each{|item| (max = item.size; long = item) if item.size > max }
>     long
>   end
> end
>
def longest
  ... forget it skipping to David's reply

> Usage:
>   puts [1, 23, '456'].which_long?
>   => 456
>
> CFC --
>


-- 
You see things; and you say Why?
But I dream things that never were; and I say Why not?
-- George Bernard Shaw