From: patrick-may@... (Patrick May)
Date: 2002-05-16T07:40:34+09:00
Subject: Re: cgi params api

My main issue with the params api:

+ cgi["key"] returns multiple values, which is not the most useful
thing.  I think it should return a single value, either by joining the
array or shifting the first param off.

I see two ways of getting multiple values from the cgi:

+ cgi.params["key"] (exists)
+ cgi["key"].values or cgi["key"].to_a, etc.

There isn't a *whole* lot of difference between these two.  The former
is easier to explain and to code.  The latter allows you to ask the
parameter itself for its multiple form without needing the cgi.

Both methods allow the programmer to decide whether s/he wants to work
with a single param or an array.

I thought I liked cgi["key"].values, but I see how it is more
confusing.  Now I think that the simpler/better solution is to change
cgi["key"] to return the singular (I believe Dossy suggested something
like this earlier?).  cgi.params["key"] would continue to return the
array.

This changes the api the least.

# single=value&multiple=first&multiple=last

cgi["single"] == "value"
cgi["multiple"] == "first\0last"

cgi.params["single"] == ["value"]
cgi.params["multiple"] == ["first", "last"]

~ Patrick