From: Hal Fulton <rubyhacker@...>
Date: 2013-07-09T06:06:15+09:00
Subject: A very half-baked idea: setting local variables

--047d7b343eaefa4bf304e1064df3
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

I'm sure this nonexistent feature is not in great demand, but there have
been different times that I (and other people) have wanted it.

This is not a "really serious" proposal, but I wanted to see what other
people's comments were about lengthy multiple assignments and
how to deal with them.

Sometimes I wish I had an alternative way to do assignment.

Example:

  foo, bar, baz, alpha, beta, gamma, fred, bill, joey = *values

In a case like that, my eye has to scan a long way to the right
before finding the equal sign and grasping that this is a multiple
assignment.

I like this better:

  vars = [:foo, :bar, :baz, :alpha, :beta, :gamma, :fred, :bill, :joey]
  assign values, vars

Note that this wouldn't be a method call (like alias_method) but
a keyword (like alias) unless "binding of caller" was permitted...
which is another thing I've wanted but I suppose will never
happen.

Comments, questions, projectiles?

Hal

--047d7b343eaefa4bf304e1064df3
Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

<div dir=3D"ltr">I&#39;m sure this nonexistent feature is not in great dema=
nd, but there have<div>been different times that I (and other people) have =
wanted it.</div><div><br></div><div style>This is not a &quot;really seriou=
s&quot; proposal, but I wanted to see what other</div>
<div style>people&#39;s comments were about lengthy multiple assignments an=
d</div><div style>how to deal with them.</div><div><br></div><div style>Som=
etimes I wish I had an alternative way to do assignment.</div><div style>
<br></div><div style>Example:</div><div style><br></div><div style>=A0 foo,=
 bar, baz, alpha, beta, gamma, fred, bill, joey =3D *values</div><div style=
><br></div><div style>In a case like that, my eye has to scan a long way to=
 the right</div>
<div style>before finding the equal sign and grasping that this is a multip=
le</div><div style>assignment.</div><div style><br></div><div style>I like =
this better:</div><div style><br></div><div style>=A0 vars =3D [:foo, :bar,=
 :baz, :alpha, :beta, :gamma, :fred, :bill, :joey]</div>
<div style>=A0 assign values, vars</div><div style><br></div><div style>Not=
e that this wouldn&#39;t be a method call (like alias_method) but=A0</div><=
div style>a keyword (like alias) unless &quot;binding of caller&quot; was p=
ermitted...</div>
<div style>which is another thing I&#39;ve wanted but I suppose will never<=
/div><div style>happen.</div><div style><br></div><div style>Comments, ques=
tions, projectiles?</div><div style><br></div><div style>Hal</div><div styl=
e>
<br></div></div>

--047d7b343eaefa4bf304e1064df3--