From: Phillip Gawlowski <cmdjackryan@...>
Date: 2011-09-20T03:25:34+09:00
Subject: Re: Overloaded constructor

On Mon, Sep 19, 2011 at 8:11 PM, Aya Abdelsalam <ayoya_91@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> if i want to write this c++ code in ruby
> class CRectangle {
>    int width, height;
>  public:
>    CRectangle (int,int);
>    CRectangle(int);
>    int area () {return (width*height);}
> };
>
> CRectangle::CRectangle (int a, int b) {
>  width = a;
>  height = b;
> }
> CRectangle::CRectangle (int a) {
>  width = a;
>  height = a;
> }
> What should I do?

class CRectangle
  def initialize( width, height = width )
    @width = width
    @height = height
  end
  def area
    @width * @height
  end
end

square = CRectangle.new(2)
rectangle = CRectangle.new(2, 4)

puts "Square area: #{square.area}"
puts "Rectangle area: #{rectangle.area}"


Basically, just assign a default value for height, and you don't even
need overloading. That way, your code does the right thing, without
confusing matters unnecessarily. ;)

Add a refinement to check if a rectangle is a square, the Ruby way:

class CRectangle
  def square?
    @width == @height
  end
end

-- 
Phillip Gawlowski

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A method of solution is perfect if we can forsee from the start,
and even prove, that following that method we shall attain our aim.
              -- Leibniz