From: Robert Dober <robert.dober@...>
Date: 2007-05-04T19:15:44+09:00
Subject: RCR?

Hi list

I'd like to have your feedback on yet another RCR idea I had.

Currently I am writing lots of code like this:

"some string".gsub(/s/,"") # I am using more complex rgxs therefore
String#delete is not
# an option.

I would like to write
"some string".gsub(/s/)
instead.

There are two roads to walk:
(a) Allow String#delete to have a Regex
(b) Give String#gsub, String#sub, String#gsub! and String#sub! the
empty string as default for parameter replacement.

(a) "abcdefgh".delete(/[aeiou]/)
For: It is concise syntax, and does very nicely what the method name
says, however...
Against: does it delete the first match or all matches? I'd say all to
be consistent with
the classical behavior of #delete, to replace only the first match
would be a very bad inconsistency.
Therefore we would have the semantics of gsub(...,"") and sub(...,"")
would not be available.
I do not like it.

(b) "abcdef".gsub(/[aeiou]/)  and "ijklmnop".sub(/[aeiou]/) and the !
variants of course.
For: I like it :)
       I feel that it is very Rubyish
       Should be trivial to implement.
Againts: Well it is a change request for very little functionality,
but if enough people like it and if Matz likes it ;)

Ty for tour thoughts.

Cheers
Robert

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