From: Peter Hickman <peterhickman386@...>
Date: 2013-04-30T00:07:59+09:00
Subject: New Rexx like data structure

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This is just something that I have been playing with for some time but I
thought a structure like this might be cool.

a = Hash.new
a.b = 12

This behaves the same as a['b'] = 12, and this ...

a.c.d = 42

behaves like this ...

a['c']['d'] = 42

The syntax looks cleaner to me if a little Rexxish (or Lua like). Here's
how I implemented it

class Hash
  def method_missing(m, *args, &block)
    key = m.to_s

    if key =~ /(.*)=$/
      self.store($1, args.first)
    elsif self[key] == nil
      self.store(key, Hash.new)
    else
      self[key]
    end
  end
end

There is just one little wrinkle in this plan

a.j => Hash

Given that a.j has not beed defined, that is there has been no "a.j = 19"
for example, I would prefer that a.j return nil but can't for the life of
me think how to get this to work.

Any suggestions?

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<div dir=3D"ltr">This is just something that I have been playing with for s=
ome time but I thought a structure like this might be cool.<div><br></div><=
div style><div>a =3D Hash.new</div><div>a.b =3D 12</div><div><br></div><div=
 style>
This behaves the same as a[&#39;b&#39;] =3D 12, and this ...</div><div><br>=
</div><div>a.c.d =3D 42<br></div><div><br></div><div style>behaves like thi=
s ...</div><div style><br></div><div style>a[&#39;c&#39;][&#39;d&#39;] =3D =
42</div>
<div style><br></div><div style>The syntax looks cleaner to me if a little =
Rexxish (or Lua like). Here&#39;s how I implemented it</div><div style><br>=
</div><div style><div>class Hash</div><div>=A0 def method_missing(m, *args,=
 &amp;block)</div>
<div>=A0 =A0 key =3D m.to_s</div><div><br></div><div>=A0 =A0 if key =3D~ /(=
.*)=3D$/</div><div>=A0 =A0 =A0 self.store($1, args.first)</div><div>=A0 =A0=
 elsif self[key] =3D=3D nil</div><div>=A0 =A0 =A0 self.store(key, Hash.new)=
</div><div>=A0 =A0 else</div><div>
=A0 =A0 =A0 self[key]</div><div>=A0 =A0 end</div><div>=A0 end =A0</div><div=
>end</div><div><br></div><div style>There is just one little wrinkle in thi=
s plan</div><div style><br></div><div style>a.j =3D&gt; Hash</div><div styl=
e><br></div>
<div style>Given that a.j has not beed defined, that is there has been no &=
quot;a.j =3D 19&quot; for example, I would prefer that a.j return nil but c=
an&#39;t for the life of me think how to get this to work.</div><div style>
<br></div><div style>Any suggestions?</div><div style><br></div></div></div=
></div>

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