From: Jason Creighton <androflux@...>
Date: 2003-09-04T11:04:34+09:00
Subject: Re: show me the ruby way

On 2 Sep 2003 14:21:46 -0700
aero6dof@yahoo.com (Alan Chen) wrote:

> ts <decoux@moulon.inra.fr> wrote in message news:<200309021525.h82FPkM17085@moulon.inra.fr>...
> >  try this (only with ruby-1.8)
> > 
> >    metaData = Hash.new {|h, k| h[k] = Hash.new(0) }
> > 
> >  when ruby try to access a key which is not defined, it call the block with
> >  (hash, key), you store in hash[key] a new hash with `0' as default value
> 
> On a related note, with ruby 1.8.0 (2003-08-04) [i386-mswin32],
> I was wondering about this behavior:
> 
> md = Hash.new { |h,k| h[h] = 0; 3 }
> p md[1]   # => 3
> p md[1]   # => 0
> 
> I understand that the first "p md[1]" is returning the result of the
> block; is that intentional?

~$ ri Hash.new
This is a test 'ri'. Please report errors and omissions
on http://www.rubygarden.org/ruby?RIOnePointEight

-------------------------------------------------------------- Hash::new
     Hash.new -> aHash
     Hash.new( anObject ) -> aHash
     Hash.new {| aHash, key | block } -> aHash
------------------------------------------------------------------------
     Returns a new, empty hash. If this hash is subsequently accessed by
     a key that doesn't correspond to a hash entry, the value returned
     depends on the style of new used to create the hash. In the first
     form, the access returns nil. If anObject is specified, this single
     object will be used for all default values. If a block is
     specified, it will be called with the hash object and the key, and
     should return the default value. It is the block's responsibility
     to store the value in the hash if required.
        h = Hash.new("Go Fish")
        h["a"] = 100
        h["b"] = 200
        h["a"]           #=> 100
        h["c"]           #=> "Go Fish"
        # The following alters the single default object
        h["c"].upcase!   #=> "GO FISH"
        h["d"]           #=> "GO FISH"
        h.keys           #=> ["a", "b"]
        # While this creates a new default object each time
        h = Hash.new { |hash, key| hash[key] = "Go Fish: #{key}" }
        h["c"]           #=> "Go Fish: c"
        h["c"].upcase!   #=> "GO FISH: C"
        h["d"]           #=> "Go Fish: d"
        h.keys           #=> ["c", "d"]

~$ 

So yes, I think it is intentional.

Jason Creighton