NAME
arrayfields.rb
URIS
http://www.codeforpeople.com/lib/ruby/
http://rubyforge.org/projects/codeforpeople/
SYNOPSIS
require 'arrayfields'
a = Arrayfields.new :k, :v, :a, :b
p a[:k] #=> :v
p a[:a] #=> :b
p a.fields #=> [:k, :a]
p a.values #=> [:v, :b]
p a #=> [:v, :b]
p a.to_hash #=> {:k => :v, :a => :b}
p a.pairs #=> [[:k, :v], [:a, :b]]
a[:foo] = :bar
p a[:foo] #=> :bar
p a.fields #=> [:k, :a, :foo]
AND
require 'arrayfields'
fields = 'name', 'age'
a = [ 'zaphod', 42 ]
a.fields = fields
a['name'] #=> 'zaphod'
a[:name ] #=> 'zaphod'
a.indices 'name', 'age' #=> [ 'zaphod', 42 ]
DESCRIPTION
allow keyword access to array instances. arrayfields works by adding only a
few methods to arrays, namely #fields= and fields, but the #fields= method is
hooked to extend an array on a per object basis. in otherwords __only__ those
arrays whose fields are set will have auto-magical keyword access bestowed on
them - all other arrays remain unaffected. arrays with keyword access require
much less memory when compared to hashes/objects and yet still provide fast
lookup and preserve data order.
LIST OF OVERRIDDEN METHODS
Array#[]
Array#slice
Array#[]=
Array#at
Array#delete_at
Array#fill
Array#values_at
Array#indices
Array#indexes
Array#slice!
LIST OF HASH-LIKE METHODS
Array#each_with_field
Array#each_pair
Array#each_key
Array#each_value
Array#fetch
Array#has_key?
Array#member?
Array#key?
Array#has_value?
Array#value?
Array#keys
Array#store
Array#values
Array#to_hash
Array#to_h
Array#update
Array#replace
Array#invert
Array#pairs
LIST OF ADDED Array METHODS
Array#fields=
Array#fields
LIST OF ADDED Array CLASS METHODS
Array.fields/Array.struct
SAMPLES
<========< sample/a.rb >========>
~ > cat sample/a.rb
require 'arrayfields'
···
#
# the class Array has only a few added method, one is for setting the fields,
# when the fields are set for an array THIS INSTANCE ONLY will be modified to
# allow keyword access. other arrays will not be affected!
#
a = [0,1,2]
fields = ['zero', 'one', 'two']
a.fields = fields # ONLY the Array 'a' is affected!
#
# keyword access is now allowed for many methods
#
p a['zero'] #=> 0
p a['one'] #=> 1
p a['two'] #=> 2
p a.at('one') #=> 1
p a.values_at('zero', 'two') #=> [0, 2]
#
# assigmnet is allowed
#
a['zero'] = 42
p a['zero'] #=> 0
a['zero'] = 0
#
# assignment to non-fields results in the element being appended and the field
# being added for future use (also appended)
#
p(a.fields.join(',')) #=> "zero, one, two"
p a['three'] #=> nil
a['three'] = 3
p(a.fields.join(',')) #=> "zero, one, two, three"
p a['three'] #=> 3
#
# other detructive methods are also keyword enabled
#
a.fill 42, 'zero', len = a.size
p(a.values_at(a.fields)) #=> [42, 42, 42, 42]
a.replace [0,1,2,3]
a.slice! 'two', 2
p a #=> [0,1]
~ > ruby sample/a.rb
0
1
2
1
[0, 2]
42
"zero,one,two"
nil
"zero,one,two,three"
3
[42, 42, 42, 42]
[0, 1]
<========< sample/b.rb >========>
~ > cat sample/b.rb
require 'arrayfields'
#
# the struct class factory method can be used in much the same way as ruby's
# own struct generators and is useful when the fields for a set of arrays is
# known apriori
#
c = Array.struct :a, :b, :c # class generator
a = c.new [42, nil, nil]
a[:c] = 42
p a #=> [42, nil, 42]
#
# of course we can append too
#
a[:d] = 42.0
p a[:d] #=> 42.0
p a #=> [42, nil, 42, 42.0]
~ > ruby sample/b.rb
[42, nil, 42]
42.0
[42, nil, 42, 42.0]
<========< sample/c.rb >========>
~ > cat sample/c.rb
require 'arrayfields'
#
# the Array.fields methods generates an insance with those fields
#
a = Array.fields :a, :b, :c
a[:a] = a[:c] = 42
p a #=> [42, nil, 42]
p a.fields #=> [:a, :b, :c]
p a.values #=> [42, nil, 42]
~ > ruby sample/c.rb
[42, nil, 42]
[:a, :b, :c]
[42, nil, 42]
<========< sample/d.rb >========>
~ > cat sample/d.rb
require 'arrayfields'
#
# the Arrayfields.new method is a contruct that takes evenly numbered pairs of
# arbitrary objects and builds up and fielded array
#
a = Arrayfields.new :key, :value, :a, :b
p a.fields #=> [:key, :a]
p a.values #=> [:value, :b]
#
# you can use a hash - but of course the ordering gets lost in the initial
# hash creation. aka the order of fields get horked by the unorderedness if
# the hash iteration. it's okay for some purposed though
#
a = Arrayfields.new :key => :value, :a => :b
p a.fields #=> [:key, :a]
p a.values #=> [:value, :b]
#
# lists of pairs get flattened - the result simply has to be evenly numbered
#
a = Arrayfields.new [[:key, :value], [:a, :b]]
p a.fields #=> [:key, :a]
p a.values #=> [:value, :b]
p a.pairs #=> [[:key, :value], [:a, :b]]
~ > ruby sample/d.rb
[:key, :a]
[:value, :b]
[:key, :a]
[:value, :b]
[:key, :a]
[:value, :b]
[[:key, :value], [:a, :b]]
AUTHOR
ara.t.howard@gmail.com
HISTORY
4.0.0:
- added Arrayfields.new(*arbitrary_evenly_numbered_list_of_objects)
- added #to_pairs and #pairs
- tried but failed to recall what happend for version 3.8
- changed Array.fields to == Arrayfields.new (used to alias Array.struct)
- added impl of Fieldable#dup that sets fields in dupped object
enjoy.
a @ http://drawohara.com/
--
we can deny everything, except that we have the possibility of being better. simply reflect on that.
h.h. the 14th dalai lama