From: Dossy <dossy@...>
Date: 2002-05-14T22:17:03+09:00
Subject: Re: cgi params api

On 2002.05.14, David Alan Black <dblack@candle.superlink.net> wrote:
> > cgi["key"] could only returns a String if there's only one value
> > for "key" -- otherwise, you have to return some other object type
> > that knows all of the values but only returns the first one when
> > asked (through #to_s, or whatever).
> >
> > That's why I'm using the CGI::Param class that's a subclass of
> > String.  Otherwise, string comparisons don't work if you don't
> > explictly use #to_s.
> 
> But according to Wakou's proposal, cgi["name"] would always return the
> first value of an array, so your concern about comparing an Array to a
> String was already addressed.

Ah, but the problem is what if the "name" param has multiple
values?  If cgi["name"] only returns a String, then you couldn't
use the [] operator to get the array.  You'd have to do something
like cgi.param_array("name") which returns Array.  That's pretty
awkward, IMHO.

I like being able to say cgi["name"] and get a String, say
cgi["name"].to_s and get the same string but say cgi["name"].to_a
and get an array of string values.  I don't see how you can do this
without making the object returned by CGI#[] a class that subclasses
String but defines #to_a.  I'd love to be enlightened by an example
in working code ...

> I have to admit I think somehow most of what's come up in this thread
> seems awfully complicated.  Also, we're pretty much going in circles
> at this point.  It might be interesting to write a CGI script (in
> current cgi.rb style) that does various things with various input,
> handles unexpected cases, etc., and then "translate" it into some of
> the proposed styles and see how much clarity is gained, how much
> typing is saved, etc.

Someone write a CGI using cgi.rb, and I'll write it using my newly
writen Panoptic::CGI ...

-- Dossy

-- 
Dossy Shiobara                       mail: dossy@panoptic.com 
Panoptic Computer Network             web: http://www.panoptic.com/ 
  "He realized the fastest way to change is to laugh at your own
    folly -- then you can let go and quickly move on." (p. 70)