From: Gary Wright <gwtmp01@...>
Date: 2008-01-31T09:06:41+09:00
Subject: Re: ruby wish-list


On Jan 30, 2008, at 6:00 PM, Chad Perrin wrote:

> On Thu, Jan 31, 2008 at 04:34:49AM +0900, Roger Pack wrote:
>> I know this is controversial, but I wish that if you did
>> string_1 + object_2 (or any object) that it would just call .to_s on
>> object_2 (instead of having to write it explicitly).  I hate  
>> having to
>> write extra .to_s's (even if it avoids ambiguity).  That's just  
>> me, but
>> hey :)
>
>> irb
>   irb(main):001:0> obj = Object.new
>   => #<Object:0x8064048>
>   irb(main):002:0> puts obj
>   #<Object:0x8064048>
>   => nil
>   irb(main):003:0> puts obj.to_s
>   #<Object:0x8064048>
>   => nil
>
> Seems like it already does what you want.  What am I missing?

I think Roger is saying that String#+ should call to_s on its argument.

String#+ already calls to_str on its argument:

 >> a = Object.new
=> #<Object:0x15a2bd8>
 >> class <<a
 >> def to_str
 >> 'object'
 >> end
 >> end
=> nil
 >> puts 'text+' + a
text+object
=> nil


Another approach is to use Array#join instead of String#+:

 >> ['a', Object.new, 'b'].join
=> "a#<Object:0x1588224>b"


Gary Wright