From: dblack@...
Date: 2003-01-24T20:57:38+09:00
Subject: Re: Silly idea: map-like method produces array

Hi --

On Fri, 24 Jan 2003, Hal E. Fulton wrote:

> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "WATANABE Hirofumi" <eban@os.rim.or.jp>
> To: "ruby-talk ML" <ruby-talk@ruby-lang.org>
> Sent: Thursday, January 23, 2003 10:42 PM
> Subject: Re: Silly idea: map-like method produces array
>
>
> > % irb
> > >> x, y, z = [0] * 3
> > => [0, 0, 0]
> > >> a, b, c, d, e = [[]] * 5
> > => [[], [], [], [], []]
> > >> s1, s2, s3 = ["hello"] * 3
> > => ["hello", "hello", "hello"]
>
> Ah, never thought of that!
>
> Too bad it requires an array...
> the brackets make it a little uglier.

That doesn't do what you want, though:

  irb(main):001:0> a,b,c = [[]] * 3
  [[], [], []]
  irb(main):002:0> a[0] = 1
  1
  irb(main):003:0> b
  [1]

I think eban's point was that * already has a defined behavior for
arrays.


David

-- 
David Alan Black
home: dblack@candle.superlink.net
work: blackdav@shu.edu
Web:  http://pirate.shu.edu/~blackdav