Re: Array handling trouble for new guy

OK so I just looked at this again and decided my answer isn't very helpful.

It looks like you're reassigning empty arrays every time your
first/middle/last_names methods are called.

Try this:

class Namer # Intending it to be a random name generator eventually

 def initialize ()
   @first_names = []
   @middle_names = []
   @last_names = []

   name_file = File.open('c:\ruby\data.txt')

   name_file.each_line do |name|
     @first_names.push(name.to_s) if name =~ /1/
     @middle_names.push(name.to_s) if name =~ /2/
     @last_names.push(name.to_s) if name =~ /3/
   end

   name_file.close
 end

 def print_names ()
   print "First Names"
   print @first_names

   print "Middle Names"
   print @middle_names

   print "Last Names"
   print @last_names
 end
end

working = Namer.new
working.print_names

On Sun, Mar 25, 2012 at 8:29 AM, Jonan Scheffler
<[e-mail]>wrote:

> Your instance variables aren't being used consistently.
>
> Try taking your first_names method apart and pushing directly on to the
> instance variable.
>
> @first_names.push(name) if name =~ /1/
> On Mar 25, 2012 8:14 AM, "Aaron Brink" <[e-mail]> wrote:
>
>> Greetings all,
>>
>> I'm dipping my toes into Ruby and have hit a stumbling block.  I'm
>> attempting to write a random name generator as an exercise for myself.
>> So far I've got it reading from a data file but can't seem to get it to
>> populate the arrays.  I'm sure I'm missing something as far as variable
>> scope goes but can't seem to dig it out of the documentation.  Each name
>> in the file has a number at the end to identify whether or not it's
>> first,
>> middle or last.  I figure I'll .chop the final array to get rid of the
>> extra character but haven't gotten that far.  Any help would be greatly
>> appreciated.
>>
>>
>>
>> class Namer # Intending it to be a random name generator eventually
>>
>>  def first_names
>>    @first_names=[]
>>  end
>>
>>  def middle_names
>>    @middle_names=[]
>>  end
>>
>>  def last_names
>>    @last_names=[]
>>  end
>>
>>  def initialize ()
>>    name_file = File.open('c:\ruby\data.txt')
>>    name_file.each_line do |name|
>>
>> # just a test to see if I was pulling in the data correctly, seems to
>> work
>>     print name.to_s
>>
>>
>> #  This is the section that I can't figure out.  Nothing gets pushed
>> into the arrays
>>     first_names.push(name.to_s) if name =~ /1/
>>     middle_names.push(name.to_s) if name =~ /2/
>>     last_names.push(name.to_s) if name =~ /3/
>>
>>    end
>>    name_file.close
>>  end
>>
>>  def print_names ()
>>    print "First Names"
>>    print first_names
>>
>>    print "Middle Names"
>>    print middle_names
>>
>>    print "Last Names"
>>    print last_names
>>  end
>> end
>>
>> working = Namer.new
>> working.print_names
>>
>> --
>> Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/.
>>
>>


-- 
Jonan Scheffler
[e-mail]
[phone]