From: Hugh Sasse Staff Elec Eng <hgs@...>
Date: 2000-08-08T15:13:04+01:00
Subject: [ruby-talk:04346] DATA and rewind.

The DATA file refers to information after __END__ in a ruby program.
Fair enough.  So I would expect to be able to rewind it, if I wish to
scan the information several times.  I did not expect this:

brains hgs 124 %> chmod u+x !$
chmod u+x DATA.rb
brains hgs 125 %> ./!$
./DATA.rb
If a thing is worth doing
It is worth doing twice.
#!/usr/local/bin/ruby -w

# Test to see how DATA copes with rewind.

# Created 08-AUG-2000
# Author Hugh G. Sasse <hgs@dmu.ac.uk>

print DATA.readlines
DATA.rewind
print DATA.readlines

__END__
If a thing is worth doing
It is worth doing twice.
brains hgs 126 %> 

This is with 
brains hgs 126 %> ruby --version
ruby 1.4.4 (2000-04-14) [sparc-solaris2.5.1]
brains hgs 127 %> 

The Principle of Least Surprise would suggest this is not a feature.  Or
is it?   I can see what is happening, I'm not really sure that it should.

	Hugh
	hgs@dmu.ac.uk