From: fuglyducky <fuglyducky@...>
Date: 2010-05-25T01:45:07+09:00
Subject: Re: Ruby Newbie...Classes and Objects, oh my!

On May 24, 8:57 am, Robert Dober <robert.do...@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Mon, May 24, 2010 at 4:30 PM, fuglyducky <fuglydu...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > I'm very new to Ruby and I'm trying to create a program that will take
> > one text file and dump each line into an array. Then I take a second
> > file and dump that into a string. Then I insert the string into the
> > array. The code for these pieces work. However, for flexibility I want/
> > need to be able to use OO methods and that is where I seem to hit a
> > wall. Not sure what I am supposed to do or how to call it. Below is my
> > code, any input you may have would be greatly appreciated!!!
>
> > ###############################################################
>
> > class XMLProcessing
> >        def initialize(array_file, string_file, output_file)
> >                @array_file = array_file
> >                @string_file = string_file
> >                @output_file = output_file
> >        end
>
> >        def lines_to_array
> >                # Dump each line from text file into array
> >                File.open(@array_file).each do |line|
> >                        my_array << line
>
> This is a local variable, uninitialized for that matter
> try
>       @my_array = []
>       File.open...
>               @my_array << line
>       end
>
> However, you could also simply do a
>      @my_array = File.readlines( @array_file ).map( &:chomp )
> or the more explicit (and in Rubies < 1.9 necessary )
>      @my_array = File.readlines( @array_file ).map{ |line| line.chomp }>                end
> >        end
>
> >        def file_to_string
> >                # Create string from text file
> >                @my_string_file = File.open(@string_file)
> >                my_string = @my_string_file.read
>
> Same here
>              @my_string = ...
>
> >        end
>
> >        def string_into_array
> >                # Insert string into array
> >                my_array.insert((my_array.length - 1), my_string)
>
> and here too
> @my_array>        end
>
> >        def new_array_to_file
> >                # Dump the array to a text file
> >                newFile = File.new(@output_file, "w+")
> >                my_array.each { |element| newFile.puts element }
>
> change here too
>            @my_array
>
> >                print 'New file created: ' + (@output_file)
> >        end
> > end
>
> > stat_xml = XMLProcessing.new("Stat.Template.xml", "Seg.Template.xml",
> > "stat.xml.txt")
>
> Now just call the methods you want to execute on stat_xml as e.g.
> stat_xml.file_to_string
> ..
> ..
>
> I do not think your design is ideal, calling all those external method
> calls for intermediate computations(1), but for a beginner it is
> pretty nicely structured code.
>
> HTH
> R.
>
> (1) But there might be reasons invisible to YHS.
>
>
>
> > ###############################################################
>
> --
> The best way to predict the future is to invent it.
> -- Alan Kay

Wow...thanks for the response!!! I'm not a programmer for a developer
by any means. I'm a tester that needed a quick (and hopefully not too
dirty) way of creating the files I need. The reason I wanted to call
all of the submethods was because I need to be able to create a random
number of some of the individual files before I dump them into the
array. I thought that in the main body of the code I would script it
out to call that particular method. This is all pretty new to me...is
that bad form?