From: Brian Candler <b.candler@...>
Date: 2011-08-01T16:39:02+09:00
Subject: Re: A question on style.

Joseph Phillips wrote in post #1014043:
> def get_responses
>  [
>   "Got it.",
>   "Interesting. I've made a note of that.",
>   "Noted.",
>   "Right.",
>   "I see.",
>   "As you say."
>  ]
> end

I would typically define a constant for this:

class Foo
  GET_RESPONSES = [
    "Got it.",
    "Etc.",
  ]
  ...
end

Then only one object is created, and you use it over and over again. To 
do this safely it's better to freeze both the array and its members:

  GET_RESPONSES = [
    "Got it.".freeze,
    "Etc.".freeze,
  ].freeze

Note: it's possible to override GET_RESPONSES in subclasses, but if you 
want a method defined in the superclass to dynamically pick the constant 
from the subclass then you need to use dynamic resolution like this:

class Foo
  GET_RESPONSES = [...]
  def response(n)
    self.class::GET_RESPONSES[n]
  end
end

class Bar < Foo
  GET_RESPONSES = [...]
end

Regards,

Brian.

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