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Tech Stuff - Ruby Glossary M - S

The beginning of our point and click glossary to ruby - we'll see how it goes. If the item below has got a link read it - otherwise put up with our definition. You have been warned!

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Symbols ?, #, ::, etc. | a - d | e - l | m - r | s - z

term parent description
map Core API

The map method is an alias for collect and is available for Array, Set and Enum objects (through Emunerable class). It calls a block for each element in the object and outputs it to a new object of the same type, for example if processing an Array the results of the block operation are placed in a new array whereas with the each method the block has to action the results.

)
# map (collect) method with Array
  arr = [1,2,3]
  res = arr.map {|x| x*x} # => [1,4,9]

# functionally the same as
  arr = [1,2,3]
  res = []
  arr.each {|x| res << x*x }
member? Hash Alias of has_key? include? and key?.
method Core API Method format (as opposed to function format)
# method format
  obj = Thing.new
  obj.mymethod(p1)
# function format (e.g. to private method)
# no object reference
  mymethod(p1)
methods Core API Methods may be either Class or instance methods and may be methods may be private, public or protected.
# instance method
class Ourclass
 def ourmethod
   do something
 end
end

# class method
class Ourclass
 def Ourclass.ourmethod
   do something
 end
end
# OR (still works if class name changes)
class Ourclass
 def self.ourmethod
   do something
 end
end
mixins Core API Term that refers to additional methods added to a class by use of the include statement. Mixins are defined inside module statements.
module Core API Module is one of those unfortunate terms that has a well-established connotation (as a packaging or compilable unit) that really (or very vaguely) have nothing to do with Ruby's use of the term. The use of Module Name ...end encloses one or more methods that may be included in a class as what is called a mixin many basic features of Ruby's object classes derive a lot of their methods from the use of mixins. Multiple modules ... end constructs may be defined in a single entity that we would typically call a module or Ruby file if you prefer to try and disambiguate. Mixins can also be used to extend a class or instance:
module Something
 def some_method
  do thing
 end
end

# class Thing - may be defined in this file or another
class Thing
 
 include Something # includes the module 
                   # and its methods as mixins
 
 # instance methods
 def ...
 end
end
names Core API ruby names may be taken ONLY from a-z, A-Z, 0-9 and '_'. They may be preceded by @, $, % etc to denote special cases.
not Core API condition 1 and NOT condition 2 alias !
or Core API condition 1 OR condition 2 alias || (precedence higher)
p IO or Kernel Outputs using object.inspect (which normally calls .to_s) method (uses $ globals) to stdout.
pp pp Pretty print version of p allows formated output using object.inspect. Customized class print can be created by passing the pp object to a user class.
# normal usage
pp obj
# OR
pp(obj)

predictate - Predictate methods are defined BY CONVENTION to return a boolean e.g. hash.key?(key). They are defined to be methods and cannot (in 1.6.8) be used in attributes
# predicate method
 def is_my_key_ok?
   hash.key?(mykey)
 end
# predicates must be methods and do not work 
# with attribute accessors 
# the following code does NOT work
class Thing
attr_reader :missing?
 def initialize
 @missing = false
 end
end

t = Thing.new
t.missing? # does NOT return false and
           #does not fail with syntax error 
print IO or Kernel Outputs to $defout ($>) or ios. Uses globals $\(at line end) and $,(between arguments) if non-nil to format. If non-string object calls to_s method. If no argument outputs $_ (last line read by gets or readline)
protected Core API See also access control for usage. Defines a method is protected - it can only be executed from within the class (any instance) and any subclass (or any instance).
# uses a method format
# from within the class
class Thing
protected # defines the following method or methods until
#         # next access control directive (public, private, protected)
#         # appears before the definition
def mpm(num)
	do something
end
# OR can be defined using a listing format after definition
protected :mpm # must be after def
end

self.mpm(1) # can be anywhere in class
private Core API See also access control for usage. Defines a method to be private - can only be executed from within the class instance and any subclass of that instance
#uses a function format
# from within the class
def mpm(num)
	do something
end
private :mpm # must be after def

mpm(1) # can be anywhere in class
public Core API See also access control for usage. Defines a method to be public (default) - can be executed from anywhere
putc IO or Kernel Outputs single char to ?.
puts IO or Kernel Outputs to stdout.
regex Core API Regular expressions (see also regular expression guide.
# simple format delimited by //
/search string/
# keyword-value pair
pattern = /(\w+)\s*=\s*(.*?)$/
line = "mine = yours "
result = pattern.match(line) 
result[0] = "mine"
result[1] = "yours"
Notes: Ruby 1.6 was quite relaxed about accepting regexp but 1.8 seems to demand the use of Regexp object when using =~ i.e. use:
regexp = Regexp.new(string-expression)
if joe =~ regexp then
	something
end
rescue Core API used to trap Exceptions with begin:
begin 
...
some buggy code
...
# rescues all errors
rescue {code block}
# or rescue only [errortype] e.g StandardError
rescue [errortype]
 {code block}
# display any text associated
rescue StandardError => ouch
print ouch
ouch.backtrace.each {|x| print x}
# optional statement always runs before 
# exiting begin section
ensure {code block}
end
Resolv.rb STD-LIB A DNS reslover library - horribly complicated and incomplete some primitive documentation and usage examples
reserved Core API The following are reserved and should not be used as method or variable names:
__FILE__ 
__LINE__ 
alias 
and 
BEGIN 
begin 
break 
case 
class 
def 
defined? 
do 
END 
end 
else 
elsif 
ensure 
false 
for 
if 
in 
module 
next 
nil 
not 
or 
redo 
rescue 
retry 
return 
self 
super 
then 
true 
undef 
unless 
until 
when 
while 
yield
return Core API return result from a method/function - mostly syntax sugar - returns the last result automagically:
# a method
def mm
  return @marray[0]
  # same as 
  @marray[0]
end

# or condition setting returns true or false
def test(thing)
 thing >= 5
end

# need return when
# multiple values are returned
def add(one)
  return one+1, one+2, one+3
end

# use all returns
two, three, four = add(one)

# use some returns - ignore last
two, three = add(one)

Glossary Navigation

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Symbols ?, #, ::, etc. | a - d | e - l | m - r | s - z



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