From: Todd Benson <caduceass@...>
Date: 2007-07-27T14:32:42+09:00
Subject: Re: beginner Q.

On 7/26/07, Erik Boling <schmode93@yahoo.com> wrote:
> Pe�a, Botp wrote:
> > From: Erik Boling [mailto:schmode93@yahoo.com]
> > # 1.5 and -1.0 thing. It would be neat if it could just print *buy from
> > # vendor #1" or "buy from vendor #2" *saying that you always
> > # want to buy the cheapest, positives = vendor 2 is cheapest, negitaves,
> > # obviosly vendor #1 is the cheapest*
> >
> > why don't you just compare their averages?
> >
> > kind regards -botp
>
> you mean like the avarage of all the items together from each vendor, if
> so... Well im not sure how much you know about the food industry, but,
> overtime if you dont find the cheapest prices, it adds up quick,
> epecially when your running a big catering company like my dad :P. But i
> was thinking.. couldn't i put if and elsifs for it to work???

Also look at case-when and <=>
For example,

v1, v2 = [10, 9, 12], [8, 9, 13]
best = a.zip(b).map do |pair|
  case pair[0] <=> pair[1]
  when -1 then 'vendor a'
  when 0 then 'same'
  when 1 then 'vendor b'
  end
end

Eventually, you might want to use Hashes...
v1 = { :onions => 0.70, :carrots => 0.88 }
v2 = { :onions => 0.78, :carrots => 0.87, :celery => 0.61 }

And other cool stuff like that :)

Todd