From: "Jesús Gabriel y Galán" <jgabrielygalan@...>
Date: 2010-04-01T01:33:03+09:00
Subject: Re: RubyDictionary - First Try

On Wed, Mar 31, 2010 at 6:23 PM, Josh Cheek <josh.cheek@gmail.com> wrote:
> 2010/3/31 Jesús Gabriel y Galán <jgabrielygalan@gmail.com>
>
>> 1.-
>>        def initialize(entries=nil)
>>                if entries==nil
>>                        @entries = Array.new
>>                else
>>                        @entries = entries
>>                end
>>        end
>>
>> this could be done like this:
>>
>>        def initialize(entries=nil)
>>           @entries = entries || []   # or Array.new if you prefer
>>        end
>>
>> How about
> def initialize( entries = Array.new )
>  @entries = entries
> end

Yep, that's cleaner.

> BTW, I think it is better to use setters and getters than to directly access
> the ivars, because if you restrict access to the method, then you only have
> to go to one place if you change implementation.

Sounds good to me, enter the Self Encapsulate Field refactoring (yes,
I'm now reading Fowler's book :-)

attr_accessor :entries

def initialize(entries = Array.new)
  self.entries = entries
end

Although maybe you want the accessor to be private at first, unless
your public interface calls for that.

Jesus.