From: Matthew Moss <matt@...>
Date: 2008-12-13T07:08:06+09:00
Subject: Re: parallel method return value

>>   a, = foo
>>   a = foo[0]
>>   a = foo.first
>>
>> All three of those do the same... assign 1 to a. The latter two  
>> request specifically the first item, while the first does parallel  
>> assignment (of array components to particular variables... in this  
>> case, only a). Since you seem interested in parallel assignment to  
>> a variable number of variables, the first seems appropriate.  
>> Granted, forgetting the comma might be easy, but there's no way for  
>> foo to know that you want a = foo to return 1 and that someone else  
>> that does a = foo wants [1, 2, 3].
>
> 	you can use the masign commas to get sort of what you want:
>
> irb(main):001:0> def foo
> irb(main):002:1>   return 1,2,3
> irb(main):003:1> end
> => nil
> irb(main):004:0> a, = foo
> => [1, 2, 3]
> irb(main):005:0> a
> => 1


You mean like my first example above?   :D