From: Chad Perrin <perrin@...>
Date: 2007-07-11T02:14:22+09:00
Subject: Re: Beautiful Code : Pity he didn't ask here...

On Tue, Jul 10, 2007 at 11:47:26PM +0900, Tim Bray wrote:
> On Jul 9, 2007, at 5:15 PM, John Carter wrote:
> 
> >In Example 4.3 he has...
> >1 counts = {}
> >2 counts.default = 0
> >
> >Personally I prefer...
> > counts = Hash.new(0)
> >  or
> > counts = Hash.new{|hash,key| hash[key]=0}
> >buts that's personal preference I guess.
> 
> Gosh, I think I totally disagree on readability grounds.

Actually, I think this:

  counts = Hash.new(0)

. . . is perfectly readable, and a bit more elegant than the two-line
version from "Example 4.3".  On the other hand, this bit looks pretty
ugly to me:

  counts = Hash.new{|hash,key| hash[key]=0]}

. . . especially since it looks like someone is afraid he has a limited
number of space characters to use, and doesn't want to run out.  Even
with some spaces added to it, though, it's not as pretty and readable.

-- 
CCD CopyWrite Chad Perrin [ http://ccd.apotheon.org ]
Larry Wall: "A script is what you give the actors.  A program is what you
give the audience."