From: Robert Dober <robert.dober@...>
Date: 2008-11-28T01:47:43+09:00
Subject: Re: Performance issues with large files -- ruby vs. python :

On Thu, Nov 27, 2008 at 4:57 PM, Charles Oliver Nutter
<charles.nutter@sun.com> wrote:

> DO NOT use unless...else. It's the most confusing conditional construct
> ever. Use if and flop the bodies, or just use if !condition.

I have never heard you shout before, *unless* I am mistaken ;).
I always felt that unless is just the human readable way of saying if
not, but accountants do not have any taste (or something like that ;).

Anyway here I would rather apply Ruby's on steroid (citing Dave
Thomas) construct "case".

case
   when not h....
         ....
   when not h....
        ....
       etc.etc
   else
       ....
end

I am not sure if faster code is generated but I would guess so.

All that said I wonder if your code could not benefit of this kind of
initialization

@main_hash = Hash::new{ |h, k| h[k] = Hash::new{ |h, k| h[k] = {} I
let *you* close all those accolades ;)

HTH
Robert

-- 
Ne baisse jamais la tête, tu ne verrais plus les étoiles.

Robert Dober ;)