Re: Print empty values to a file?

On 26 Jan 2004, Qubert wrote:

> Date: 26 Jan 2004 08:29:19 -0800
> From: Qubert <[e-mail]>
> Newsgroups: comp.lang.ruby
> Subject: Print empty values to a file?
> 
> I am in the middle of writing a wrapper to FORTRAN programs using
> Ruby.  It going great so far.  The problem that I need this groups
> help to solve follows:
> 
> For the purposes of a reference, a log and to allow continuation of
> the script, I have created a function that writes inquired values to a
> file, as follows:
> 
> def savevaribles
>   fs = File.new("./savedvaribles.rb","w")
>   # Saved variables from harmprocessing.rb
>   fs.puts "# Saved variables from harmprocessing.rb"
>   fs.puts "$year = #{$year}"
>   fs.puts "$gonl = #{$gonl}"
>   fs.puts "$tm = #{$tm}"
>   fs.puts "$timezone = #{$timezone}"
>   fs.close
> end
> 
> Which creates a file that I can "load" with all my variables.
> # Saved variables from harmprocessing.rb
> $gonl = 149.98435
> $tm = 135
> $timezone = -9
> 
> The list is much more extensive than this and many of the values are not set
> until later in the analysis.  If the value is not set or if it is "nil" the
> commands #{$value} is blank, which is fine except, $value1 = $value2 = 42
> Upon reading the file, the value of $value1 is set to 42 also, which
> confuses further analyses.  So I am trying to figure out a cleaver means to
> check if each value exists or nil then 'puts "nil"' so there are no more
> blanks.  I can do this the brute force method, with if/then statements
> everywhere, but I was wondering if there is a Ruby way to accomplish this.
> 
> I appreciate your help.
> Chris

you may want to consider methods which do not require global values, and which
handle all the serialization for you:

  ~ > cat a.rb 
  require 'yaml'

  module SaveVaribles
    PATH = 'sv.yaml'
    class << self
      def load path = PATH
        sv = open(path, 'r'){|f| vars = YAML::load(f)}
      end
      def save sv, path = PATH
        open(path,'w'){|f| f.puts(YAML::dump(sv))}
      end
    end
  end

  if File.exist?(SaveVaribles::PATH)
    sv = SaveVaribles.load
   
    p sv['year']
    p sv['gonl']
    p sv['tm']
    p sv['timezone']
  else
    sv = Hash.new
   
    sv['year']     = 2003
    sv['gonl']     = nil
    sv['tm']       = 'foobar' 
    sv['timezone'] = 0

    SaveVaribles.save sv
  end

  ~ > ruby a.rb 

  ~ > cat sv.yaml 
  --- 
  timezone: 0
  tm: foobar
  year: 2003
  gonl: 

  ~ > ruby a.rb
  2003
  nil
  "foobar"
  0



there is always pstore too:

  ~ > cat b.rb
  require 'pstore'

  class SaveVariables < PStore
    PATH = 'sv.pstore'
    def initialize path=PATH; super; end
    def [] k; transaction{super}; end
    def []= k,v; transaction{super}; end
    def size; transaction{roots.size}; end
    def empty?; not size > 0; end
  end

  sv = SaveVariables.new

  if sv.empty?
    sv['year']     = 2003
    sv['gonl']     = nil
    sv['tm']       = 'foobar' 
    sv['timezone'] = 0
  end

  sv[:time] = Time.now 

  p sv['year']
  p sv['gonl']
  p sv['tm']
  p sv['timezone']
  p sv[:time]

  ~ > ruby b.rb && sleep 2 && ruby b.rb
  2003
  nil
  "foobar"
  0
  Mon Jan 26 03:26:55 MST 2004

  2003
  nil
  "foobar"
  0
  Mon Jan 26 03:26:57 MST 2004


you definitely have options.

-a
-- 

ATTN: please update your address books with address below!

===============================================================================
| EMAIL   :: Ara [dot] T [dot] Howard [at] noaa [dot] gov
| PHONE   :: [phone]
| ADDRESS :: E/GC2 325 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80305-3328
| STP     :: http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/stp/
| NGDC    :: http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/
| NESDIS  :: http://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/
| NOAA    :: http://www.noaa.gov/
| US DOC  :: http://www.commerce.gov/
|
| The difference between art and science is that science is what we
| understand well enough to explain to a computer.  
| Art is everything else.  
|   -- Donald Knuth, "Discover"
|
| /bin/sh -c 'for l in ruby perl;do $l -e "print \"\x3a\x2d\x29\x0a\"";done' 
===============================================================================