From: lith <minilith@...>
Date: 2009-11-04T23:56:07+09:00
Subject: Re: Ruby doesn't implement x++ for Fixnum's because ???

> gsub! can work because somewhere inside the object there is a hunk of storage
> which is separate from the object itself.  Fixnum has no such storage to
> refer to.

I don't think ruby makes the distinction between native types &
objects à la java. I don't know the ruby source but from a glance at
numeric.c[1], I'd say it is handled as VALUE/ruby object like any
other object. All those numeric methods seem to convert the VALUE to c
numbers, do what they are supposed to do and then convert them back
again. Please correct me if I'm wrong and if you know the ruby source
code.

I don't think ruby is in need of such an operator but I don't see why
ruby shouldn't have macros to let people fake such a thing if they
deem it necessary.


[1] http://svn.ruby-lang.org/cgi-bin/viewvc.cgi/trunk/numeric.c?view=markup