From: Harry Ohlsen <harryo@...>
Date: 2002-08-04T07:19:39+09:00
Subject: Re: Assoc Class (Hash Pairs)

On Sun, 4 Aug 2002 04:05, you wrote:
> i've been thinking about posting this as an RCR.
>
> i would really like to see hash pairs (associations) become real
> objects. i think it would be a very powerful and useful construct. there
> are number of things one could then do. The simpliest obviosuly being:
>
>   x = 'a'=>1
>   y = 'b'=>2
>
>   hash = { x, y }
>
> ordered hashes also become a snap, implemented as arrays of these
> associations:
>
>   ordhash = [ x, y ]
>
> or, without the above x and y assignments, just
>
>   ordhash = [ 'a'=>1 , 'b'=>2 ]
>
> this association class (Assoc?) would of course mixin the comparable
> module.

This piques my interest, but I'm at a loss to see what one would DO with one 
of these.  Ie, you obviously see that some types of problems would be made 
easier/cleaner by the use of this kind of data structure.

Can you give an example where having these would be helpful?