From: Javier Fontan <jfontan@...>
Date: 2002-03-04T19:23:23+09:00
Subject: Re: string to array and back


Hello,

You should use each_byte to iterate character by character in a string. If 
you want to create an array from a string something like this should work:

tmp=[]
string.each_byte { |byte| tmp.push(byte.chr) }

to recreate a string

newstring=tmp.join

bye

On Sun 03 Mar 2002 20:17, you wrote:
> On Sun, 03 Mar 2002 18:36:25 GMT, Matt Armstrong <matt@lickey.com> wrote:
> >Ron Jeffries <ronjeffries@REMOVEacm.org> writes:
> >> I am needing to convert strings to arrays of bytes and back. I see
> >> pack and unpack with argument of 'c*' will do it. Is there a better
> >> way?
> >
> >A String is an array of bytes.  Try doing no conversion at all.
>
> Actually, a string is /almost/ an array of bytes. That's what's standing in
> my way at the moment. It seems to me that Ruby isn't quite as smooth and
> symmetric as it could be here.
>
> In Ruby, an array of bytes is really an array of objects that behave like
> Fixnum, if I'm not mistaken. Send it :each and you get the bytes one after
> another. But a string mistakenly thinks that :each should deliver in lines,
> not bytes. Gack.
>
> An array of bytes sent :to_a answers itself. A string sent :to_a answers,
> get this, an array with the string in it. (Or lots of strings, if the
> string has newlines in it.) Gack.
>
> So arrays of bytes and strings can't be used polymorphically, and they are
> really difficult to use together.  At the moment it looks like I'll have to
> convert. Maybe I'll find another way.
>
> There must be a good, simple way to do what I'm up to. But I don't see it
> yet.
>
> Ronald E Jeffries
> http://www.XProgramming.com
> http://www.objectmentor.com
> I'm giving the best advice I have. You get to decide whether it's true for
> you.

-- 
Javier Fontan Mui�os
jfontan@cesga.es
CESGA, Supercomputing Center of Galicia