From: Ezra Zygmuntowicz <ezmobius@...>
Date: 2008-12-13T07:19:20+09:00
Subject: Re: parallel method return value


On Dec 12, 2008, at 2:08 PM, Matthew Moss wrote:

>>>  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

Yes exactly like that! /me wanders off to get some glasses...

Ezra