From: "shortcutter@..." <shortcutter@...>
Date: 2008-05-28T23:16:32+09:00
Subject: Re: The duck's backside

On 28 Mai, 15:14, Tobias Weber <t...@gmx.net> wrote:
> In article
> <9560F017-58CA-48EB-BCC3-3B1675851...@games-with-brains.com>,
>  Eleanor McHugh <elea...@games-with-brains.com> wrote:
>
> > >      uaid = "ignore"
>
> Ups, shoulda been c =
>
> >            @post("first=#{a}&second=#{b.to_int}&third=#{c.to_int}")
>
> Won't work as the web service actually expects either a number or the
> string "ignored"

You can do

@post("first=#{a}&second=#{b.to_int rescue 'ignored'}&third=#{c.to_int
rescue 'ignored'}")

Of course, defining a method for this would be better.  How about:

def intify(x)
  x.to_int rescue "ignored"
end

def doit(a, b, c = nil)
  (b, c = intify(b), intify(c)).select {|x| Numeric === x}.size != 1
and
    raise ArgumentError, "need exactly one number"
  @http.post("first=#{a}&second=#{b}&third=#{c}")
end

Cheers

robert