From: "Guy N. Hurst" <gnhurst@...>
Date: 2000-12-20T19:18:18+09:00
Subject: [ruby-talk:7755] Re: Code sample for improvement

David Alan Black wrote:
> 
> Hello --
> 
> On Wed, 20 Dec 2000, Guy N. Hurst wrote:
> 
> > I looked at the other samples and decided to give this a try.  I
> > figured there might be a nice way to use the Time class for this.
> > Besides, there aren't 30 days in every month ;-)
> 
> True... but the lump in the carpet has to end up somewhere.  
...
> 
> Obviously these make sense with regard to 1/1/1970, but for a given
> case it may be more relevant or informative to average things out.
>

Ok. But that is limited to the algorithm.

> (Or did your ';-)' cover all this? :-)
> 

I had to have some extra excuse for departing from the 1 month=30 day 
formula in order to use the handy Time class ;-)

> > In making this code, I am taking advantage of the fact that the
> > English words, including your accepted abbreviations "min" and
> > "sec", match the methods I will use from the Time class, which I use
> > as my workhorse.  No tables are needed. Since this seems like a
> > useful method, I added it into the String and Integer classes.
> 
> > Personally, I think this better reflects the Ruby way to do things.
> 
> A bit of a conversation-stopper... :-)  but anyway: 

lol :-)   

> doesn't it depend
> on what "things" one is doing?  

I am actually referring more to how things are arranged
and not necessarily the algorithm used to solve this problem.  
(Although I did think the algorithm was more accurate)
So the "things" are based on the following-

Steve originally said
>>
I was interested in how the new constructs available in Ruby, like
closures and co-routines, could help clean up what really is pretty
ghastly code.
I've played around with a few other approaches, but nothing really
seems to stand out as being a better way of doing things.
<<

And I personally think that the arrangement I discovered stands out,
which is why I bothered to post it.  I also think that the other
approaches people have posted represent some nice inventions, especially
your assortment :-)  But in spite of that, I was hoping to also find a 
way to provide an answer to Steve's other question:

>>
Maybe generalise the code and put it into a class?
<<

In doing that I did look for a way to avoid using divmod or the table or
scattered logic. And I found a way. Also, no one else put their code into 
a class. 


> Your approach is a great way to
> translate seconds into an English representation of time since
> 1/1/1970.  But I think there are legitimate reasons that one might
> interpret the seconds-to-English task differently. 

You have a good point here; I did not really think it mattered, since
he already accepted an inaccurate 30 day/month standard. (But then the
trick I used in the algorithm also has an issue, as you aptly pointed out.)

> (By the way, I'm
> not specifically defending my own version of this -- I have nothing
> riding on that, nor any conviction that it couldn't be improved upon.)
> 

I believe you. I think you were having fun.  And I did leave it open
that what I discovered could be improved upon also; I just think it
was better so far, for what was asked.  I almost didn't put that part in 
there, but I really felt that way.  Wouldn't you agree that, since functions 
are not first class objects in Ruby, that it makes more sense to focus on 
the objects?  I think this is what Steve was getting at (Steve?).  
To do this it seems that I should minimize parameters and put the methods 
inside appropriate classes with a carefully selected name.

So, perhaps this is a conversation *starter* ?  :-)

Yeah, it is probably safer to just say you can do things as you like,
but in fact, I hear plenty of people wondering if there is a specific
ideal way of doing things in Ruby, and if so, what is it? Sometimes
it may really be a toss-up. But not always. Not in this case, either.
It is ideal to be able to make a method that belongs to the object's class.


> > I really like Ruby  :-)
> 
> Hey, I can beat that -- I even like the Ruby discussion list :-)
> 

:-)

Guy N. Hurst

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