From: Joey Zhou <yimutang@...>
Date: 2011-03-05T19:33:06+09:00
Subject: %s[ I think %s[] should build an array of symbols instead of a single symbol ]

I find %s[] builds a single symbol.


p %s[ I think this should build an array of symbols ]
=> :" I think this should build an array of symbols "


It even costs one more keystroke than :"", so it has no effect to make
fingers happy. If the purpose of %s[] is to avoid quotation mark
confusion, I think %q[].to_sym is enough, and more flexible: %Q[].to_sym
works too (well, there's no %S[]).


what = "an array of symbols"
p %Q[ I think this should build #{what} ].to_sym
p %q[ I think this should build an array of symbols ].to_sym


If I want an array of symbols, I can use %w[].map {|x| x.to_sym}:


p %w[ I think this should build an array of symbols ].map {|x| x.to_sym}
=> [:I, :think, :this, :should, :build, :an, :array, :of, :symbols]


But I think .map {|x| x.to_sym} is more expensive than .to_sym, because
.map changes so many elements while .to_sym only changes a single
object. And I think the demand for an array of symbols is more frequent
than a single sentence-like symbol.

Maybe %s[] should be changed, like %w[], not %q[]. Anyone think so?

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