From: Robert Klemme <shortcutter@...>
Date: 2008-11-08T22:09:58+09:00
Subject: Re: array.equal?

2008/11/7 Sebastian Hungerecker <sepp2k@googlemail.com>:
> Michael Morin wrote:
>> The eql? method is an alias for [equal?].
>
> Not on Array, it's not. Array#eql? behaves like Array#==, not like
> Object#equal?.

The statement isn't true even in the _general case_: eql? and ==
implement the mathematical concept of "equivalence" and have usually
the same semantics (there are some noteworthy differences for
numbers).  eql? being the more important method as it is also used by
Hash and others to find equivalent entires. equal? on the contrary
implements the concept of "identity". The default behavior of this in
class Object should never be overridden - but then again, the method
is used so sparingly that it probably won't matter. :-)

Kind regards

robert


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