Re: tap { break } idiom deserves its own Kernel method?

I just used the pattern again, and this time it's a much simpler example 
than the one I gave before. So maybe it will help.

The issue is I'm getting an integer parameter from a form, and I want to 
store it as an integer or (if the parameter was empty) as nil.

So I've written this:

  x = params[:distance].tap{|d| break d.empty? ? nil : d.to_i}

I'd prefer to write this:

  x = params[:distance].pipe{|d| d.empty? ? nil : d.to_i}

Without these I'd need to either repeat the params[:distance] expresion, 
as in the slightly damp

  x = params[:distance].empty? ? nil : params[:distance].to_i

or I'd resort to a temp variable as in

  dparam = params[:distance]
  x = dparam.empty? ? nil : dparam.to_i

Again, nothing earth moving here. I'm just partial to the pipe approach, 
and thought perhaps others would like it too.

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