From: Brian Ross <p.brian.ross@...>
Date: 2008-08-15T11:38:42+09:00
Subject: Re: Use of dup to remove references

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On Thu, Aug 14, 2008 at 10:20 PM, botp <botpena@gmail.com> wrote:

> variables are just references to objects. when you do
>
>   y = "test"
>   x = y
>
> x and y now references to the original string object "test"
>

Thanks so much for the help. What has been confusing is that the object
changes in this next bit of test code so that both variables reference
different objects:

# Start of code that changes object

sentence = "first"
p sentence.object_id
sentence_new = sentence
p sentence_new.object_id
sentence = "second"
p sentence.object_id
p sentence_new.object_id

# End of code

and I think that I figured out that the [] method doesn't change the object
referenced, but just the value of the object, while using = to assign a new
value assigns a new object as well. Is that correct? Is there a way to use =
without changing the object in the example above?

# Start of code that preserves object

sentence = "test"
p sentence.object_id
sentence_new = sentence
p sentence_new.object_id
sentence['t'] = 'p'
p sentence.object_id
puts sentence_new
puts sentence

# End of code


Thanks again
Brian

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