From: Garrison Taylor <garrisontaylor@...>
Date: 2010-12-14T08:27:39+09:00
Subject: Re: String or string

When I typed it I wasn't looking at it, it was actually 

u2 = gets.chomp
 If u2 != "force" || "spells"
  Puts "blah"

Scratch.mit.edu. Go there!

-gbear605

On Dec 13, 2010, at 6:09 PM, Josh Cheek <josh.cheek@gmail.com> wrote:

> On Mon, Dec 13, 2010 at 4:53 PM, Garrison Taylor
> <garrisontaylor@gmail.com>wrote:
> 
>> I am doing something where I do
>> If "force" || "spells"
>> Puts "blah"
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> When I use it it gives a warning about comparing strings, what's happening
>> and how do I fix it?
>> 
>> Scratch.mit.edu. Go there!
>> 
>> -gbear605
>> 
> 
> || is a boolean method meaning "or". It is concerned with the truthiness and
> falsiness of its parameters. The set of falsy objects is { false , nil },
> everything else is truthy. That means that strings are truthy, so when you
> say "force" || "spells" it looks at "force", sees it isn't false and it
> isn't nil, and so is considered true. Every time.
> 
> So "force" || "spells" will always return "force", a truthy value, to the if
> statement. Thus the if statement will always execute.
> 
> if "force" || "spells"
>  puts "blah"
> end
> 
> is the same as
> 
> if "force"
>  puts "blah"
> end
> 
> is the same as
> 
> if true
>  puts "blah"
> end
> 
> is the same as
> 
> puts "blah"
> 
> 
> 
> That is probably not what you wanted, so it warns you of the issue.