From: Hugh Sasse Staff Elec Eng <hgs@...>
Date: 2001-01-04T03:48:16+09:00
Subject: [ruby-talk:8582] Re: bug??

On Thu, 4 Jan 2001, Jean Michel wrote:

> I don't understand the following behaviour:
> 
> irb(main):015:0> a=Hash.new("")
> {}

Creates the new hash, and a single object <""> to return when 
an nonexistent element is accessed.

> irb(main):016:0> a[1]<<"a"
> "a"

Access a nonexistent element -> ""
append "a" to it :  "" << "a" -> "a"

> irb(main):017:0> a[1]
> "a"

Access a non existenet element.  Get the one object back, as
before, but you just modified it, so it is "a", not "" any more.

> irb(main):018:0> a
> {}

You still haven't defined any keys for the hash yet, so there
is nothing in it.
> 

> Best regards,
>    Jean MICHEL
> 
	Hugh
	hgs@dmu.ac.uk