From: Michael Bostler <mbostler@...>
Date: 2010-11-14T08:15:10+09:00
Subject: Re: help sorting objects by their instance field

My attempt at refactoring the query method would leverage array#select.
I'd probably do something like:

def query(name)
   matches = @persons.select do |person|
      full_name = [person.first_name, person.last_name].join(' ')
      full_name =~ Regexp.new("\\b#{name}\\b")
   end

   puts "Found  #{matches.size} matches for that name."
end

Basically, if the last line of the select block returns false or nil,
that element will not be returned.  In this case, the last line in
the block converts the "name" parameter into a regular expression and
encloses it in word boundary delimiters (so that searches with, for
example, "ti" will not return people named "tim").

The =~ method will return the index of the first match in the full_name
string, or nil if no match is found. In other words, =~ only returns
non-nil/non-false on matches, and the select method will pick those 
matches
up

-- 
Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/.