From: Brian Candler <b.candler@...>
Date: 2010-08-04T18:51:50+09:00
Subject: Re: File.new ("write.txt", "w+") results in error

Eugen Ciur wrote:
> File.new ("write.txt", "w+")
> 
> =&gt;
> syntax error, unexpected ',', expecting ')'
> File.new ("write.txt", "w+")
>                       ^
> ...: syntax error, unexpected ')', expecting $end
> 
> Is this a ruby bug or is it a feature/quirk of ruby?

The latter, because in ruby the parentheses surrounding the argument 
list are optional.

Consider the difference here:

  puts (2-3).abs    ##   means:  puts((2-3).abs)
  puts(2-3).abs     ##   means:  (puts(2-3)).abs

[The latter fails, because puts returns nil, and nil.abs is not defined]

So if you include a space, the parentheses are considered part of the 
first argument. If you don't include a space, the parentheses are 
wrapping the argument list.

In ruby 1.8,
  puts (2,3)        ##   accepted with warning
  puts (2,3).abs    ##   syntax error

In ruby 1.9, they are both treated as a syntax error.
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