From: Brian Candler <B.Candler@...>
Date: 2003-07-09T22:02:40+09:00
Subject: Re: Code Snippet: Array.shuffle

On Wed, Jul 09, 2003 at 09:45:33PM +0900, Mauricio Fern�ndez wrote:
> > > I got the error from -- a = array[1,2,3,4,5]
> > > IRB will give a consistent error.
> > 
> > Certainly. Ruby is case-sensitive. You need to call method [] of 'Array',
> > not 'array'
> 
> It's not Array.[], but Kernel#Array.

You sure? This is Kernel#Array:

     Array(5)   #>>  [5]

     Array(5,6) #>>  ArgumentError: wrong # of arguments(2 for 1)

I believe that foo[bar] is a shortcut for

    foo.send(:[], bar)

And therefore Array[1,2,3,4,5] is

    Array.send(:[], 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
    #=> [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

or equivalently

    Array.[] (1,2,3,4,5)
    #=> [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

i.e. this is a class (singleton) method of Array

Regards,

Brian.