From: John Joyce <dangerwillrobinsondanger@...>
Date: 2008-01-12T09:57:46+09:00
Subject: Re: .times loop returns the number?


On Jan 11, 2008, at 6:13 PM, Roger Pack wrote:

>   12.times do |month_ahead|
>   end
>
> returns 12
> I would have expected this to return a collected array of the return
> value of each block.  Odd?
> --  
> Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/.
>
Not odd at all.
x.times do |x|
   code_here_using_x
end

In this iterating construct the current value passed in | | is the  
current value of x.
other than that,
Ruby blocks always return the last value returned in the block.
if you simply do this:

x.times do |x|
   code_here_using_x
   puts "cat"
end

the block will return "cat"

The iterating constructs in Ruby are not always used to return a  
value as in C-like languages.
They simply perform the code in the block a number of times.
This includes powerful and flexible concepts such iterating over  
collections (arrays, hashes, etc...)

a = Array.new

a.each do |element|
  some_function( element )
end

The main idea on iterators in ruby is the iterating!
But do keep in mind the simple convenience that Ruby code blocks  
implicitly return the last value in the block.

a.each do |element|
  some_function( element )
  46
end

returns 46.
Sometimes that is useful and convenient.