From: "Peña, Botp" <botp@...>
Date: 2008-04-04T13:15:04+09:00
Subject: Re: using a range as a key

From: Michael Linfield [mailto:globyy3000@hotmail.com] 
# ...12345..12350 => 89734, 23456..23460 => 23532
# ect ect. commas separating the ranges like above...How do I 
# import the literal of that file instead of the string.
# file = File.readlines('testdata.txt') # this creates only 1 array 
# element
# file[0].class
# #=> String
# file[1]
# #=> nil
# So this obviously wouldn't work in a manner of the following:
# ranges = RangedHash.new(file)
# Same goes for file = File.open('testdata.txt', 'w+')

if it's text you can eval it (note that there are other ways).

eg,

file="12345..12350 => 89734, 23456..23460 => 23532\n"
#=> "12345..12350 => 89734, 23456..23460 => 23532\n"
file.strip!
#=> "12345..12350 => 89734, 23456..23460 => 23532"
file
#=> "12345..12350 => 89734, 23456..23460 => 23532"
h=eval("{"+file+"}")
#=> {23456..23460=>23532, 12345..12350=>89734}
h.class
#=> Hash

kind regards -botp