From: botp <botpena@...>
Date: 2011-07-23T09:14:30+09:00
Subject: Re: using "puts" in ternary operator

On Sat, Jul 23, 2011 at 7:18 AM, Jesse Breuer <jesse.breuer@gmail.com> wrote:
> I find that I get errors if I use "puts" in it's standard form in a
> ternary operator
> x == 2 ? puts "two" : puts "one"
>
> error is:
>
> SyntaxError: (irb):3: syntax error, unexpected tSTRING_BEG, expecting
> keyword_do or '{' or '('
> x == 2 ? puts "two" : puts "one"
>               ^
> (irb):3: syntax error, unexpected ':', expecting $end
> x == 2 ? puts "two" : puts "one"
>                     ^

imho,
ruby is trying to read it as:

x == 2 ? puts ("two" : puts "one")

it reads the puts first, but then it encounters the colon, so...

>
> It works however if I use this form:
> x == 2 ? puts("two") : puts("one")

or:
x == 2 ? (puts "two" )  : (puts "one" )

> Could someone help me figure out why? Is there documentation somewhere
> on this?

use parens to help the interpreter

kind regards -botp