From: Jim Weirich <jim@...>
Date: 2004-02-15T03:08:52+09:00
Subject: Re: Simple litle style question


David A. Black said:

>> def simpleExample(t)
>
> I prefer "simple_example" :-)

Amen!

> And, just for fun, there's also:
>
>   def simple_example(t)
>     block_meth { if t == 'forty-two' then 42 else 0 end }
>   end
>
>   def simple_example(t)
>     block_meth { t == 'forty-two' ? 42 : 0 }
>   end

I prefer either of these one-liners over the longer examples.  They
succinctly express the heart of the calculation without any extra noise.

> (I won't bother with the "t == 'forty-two' && 42 || 0" one :-)

Good Heavens!  Thank you.  Where the other oneliners express the logic
directly, this one tends to cloud it (IMHO).

>> i.e. do you explicity declare a return variable and put that variable
>> right before the 'end' or do you rely on your audience being smart
>> enough to perceive what the return value is going to be?

On the short examples given, I would let Ruby be Ruby and just have the
last (and only) expression be the implicit result of the function.

If the function is longer (more than one expression), then I might use a
return variable, especially if the expression I wish to return is the last
expression only by coincidence.  When I use a return variable, I _always_
spell it "result", and only use the name "result" for return variables.

-- 
-- Jim Weirich     jim@weirichhouse.org    http://onestepback.org
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Beware of bugs in the above code; I have only proved it correct,
not tried it." -- Donald Knuth (in a memo to Peter van Emde Boas)