From: Travis Warlick <twarlick@...>
Date: 2008-09-06T05:13:59+09:00
Subject: String sanitizing

I have implemented a sanitize! method into the String class to  
properly erase Strings from memory (example usage: clearing a password  
from memory), but I want to make sure that what I'm doing is actually  
doing what I think it is.

Basically, is this code going to leave _anything_ lying around in  
memory because of any undocumented/strange behavior or side effects of  
the []= method?

class String
   def sanitize!
     for i in 0...self.length
       self[i] = 0
     end
     self.delete!("\000")
   end
end

Also, feel free to recommend any "better" ways to do this.

--
      Travis

"You get it, hm?  But it's not your head
  that needs to understand!"
      -- Hatsumi O'Sensei