# Cleaner way to do this?

**URL:** <https://rubytalk.org/t/cleaner-way-to-do-this/14615>\
**Category:** ruby-talk\
**Created:** [5 November 2004 01:24 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/cleaner-way-to-do-this/14615 "2004-11-05T01:24:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Harry\_Ohlsen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/57b2e6/32.png) [@Harry\_Ohlsen](https://rubytalk.org/u/Harry_Ohlsen)\
**Post date:** [5 November 2004 01:24 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/cleaner-way-to-do-this/14615/1 "2004-11-05T01:24:14Z")

</div>

That's what I initially suggested :-).

However, he felt it was a bit crazy to do the test every time, given the  
large size of the array.

H.

> **···**
>
> > -----Original Message-----  
> > From: Wayne Vucenic [mailto:nightphotos@gmail.com]  
> > Sent: Friday, 5 November 2004 12:12  
> > To: ruby-talk ML  
> > Subject: Re: Cleaner way to do this?
> > 
> > How about
> > 
> > [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].each\_with\_index do |x, i|  
> > &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;if i == 0  
> > &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;print x  
> > &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;else  
> > &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;print ", ",x  
> > &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;end  
> > end
> 
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---

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**Author:** ![Zach\_Dennis1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ea5d25/32.png) [@Zach\_Dennis1](https://rubytalk.org/u/Zach_Dennis1)\
**Post date:** [5 November 2004 03:01 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/cleaner-way-to-do-this/14615/2 "2004-11-05T03:01:05Z")

</div>

Harry Ohlsen wrote:

> > From: Wayne Vucenic [mailto:nightphotos@gmail.com] Sent: Friday, 5 November 2004 12:12  
> > To: ruby-talk ML  
> > Subject: Re: Cleaner way to do this?
> > 
> > How about
> > 
> > [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].each\_with\_index do |x, i|  
> > &nbsp;&nbsp;if i == 0  
> > &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;print x  
> > &nbsp;&nbsp;else  
> > &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;print ", ",x  
> > &nbsp;&nbsp;end  
> > end  
> > &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  
> > That's what I initially suggested :-).
> 
> However, he felt it was a bit crazy to do the test every time, given the  
> large size of the array.
> 
> H.

If your friend knows the processing he wants to do on the first element, why not just keep it simple...

arr = [1,2,3,4,5]  
process = proc{ |e| print e }.call( arr[0] )  
arr[1...arr.length].each do |e|  
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;print ", #{e}"  
end

Zach

> **···**
>
> > > -----Original Message-----

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![benny1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecc23a/32.png) [@benny1](https://rubytalk.org/u/benny1)\
**Post date:** [5 November 2004 13:48 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/cleaner-way-to-do-this/14615/3 "2004-11-05T13:48:43Z")

</div>

Harry Ohlsen wrote:

> **···**
>
> > > -----Original Message-----  
> > > From: Wayne Vucenic [mailto:nightphotos@gmail.com]  
> > > Sent: Friday, 5 November 2004 12:12  
> > > To: ruby-talk ML  
> > > Subject: Re: Cleaner way to do this?
> > > 
> > > How about
> > > 
> > > [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].each\_with\_index do |x, i|  
> > > &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;if i == 0  
> > > &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;print x  
> > > &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;else  
> > > &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;print ", ",x  
> > > &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;end  
> > > end
> > 
> > That's what I initially suggested :-).
> > 
> > However, he felt it was a bit crazy to do the test every time, given the  
> > large size of the array.
> 
> how about this?
> 
> arr = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]  
> first = arr.shift  
> print arr.inject(first) { | c, i | "#{c.to\_s}, #{i.to\_s}" }
> 
> benny

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Zach\_Dennis1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ea5d25/32.png) [@Zach\_Dennis1](https://rubytalk.org/u/Zach_Dennis1)\
**Post date:** [5 November 2004 04:21 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/cleaner-way-to-do-this/14615/4 "2004-11-05T04:21:48Z")

</div>

Zach Dennis wrote:

> If your friend knows the processing he wants to do on the first element, why not just keep it simple...
> 
> arr = [1,2,3,4,5]  
> process = proc{ |e| print e }.call( arr[0] )  
> arr[1...arr.length].each do |e|  
> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;print ", #{e}"  
> end

This is also faster, then doing a comparison in each iteration :

RESULTS:

---------- Capture Output ----------  
"C:\ruby\bin\ruby.exe" -d harry\_ohlsen.rb  
WRITING 1  
Took:  
19.297000169754  
seconds  
WRITING 2  
Took: 11.7650001049042 seconds  
Terminated with exit code 0

--------CODE-----------  
require 'time'

arr =   
2000000.times do |i|  
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;arr \<\< "abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz"  
end

f = File.new( "temp.txt" , "w+" )  
t = Time.new  
arr.each\_with\_index do |x,i|  
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;if i==0  
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;f.print x  
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;else  
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;f.print ', ',x  
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;end end  
f.close  
puts "WRITING 1"  
puts "Took: ", (Time.new.to\_f - t.to\_f).to\_s, " seconds"

f = File.new( "temp.txt2" , "w+" )  
t = Time.new  
process = proc { |e| f.print e }.call( arr[0] )  
arr[1...arr.length].each do |e|  
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;f.print ', ',e  
end  
f.close  
puts "WRITING 2"  
print "Took: ", (Time.new.to\_f- t.to\_f).to\_s, " seconds"

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![benny1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecc23a/32.png) [@benny1](https://rubytalk.org/u/benny1)\
**Post date:** [5 November 2004 13:58 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/cleaner-way-to-do-this/14615/5 "2004-11-05T13:58:41Z")

</div>

benny wrote:

> Harry Ohlsen wrote:
> 
> > > From: Wayne Vucenic [mailto:nightphotos@gmail.com]  
> > > Sent: Friday, 5 November 2004 12:12  
> > > To: ruby-talk ML  
> > > Subject: Re: Cleaner way to do this?
> > > 
> > > How about
> > > 
> > > [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].each\_with\_index do |x, i|  
> > > &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;if i == 0  
> > > &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;print x  
> > > &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;else  
> > > &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;print ", ",x  
> > > &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;end  
> > > end
> > 
> > That's what I initially suggested :-).
> > 
> > However, he felt it was a bit crazy to do the test every time, given the  
> > large size of the array.
> 
> how about this?
> 
> arr = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]  
> first = arr.shift  
> print arr.inject(first) { | c, i | "#{c.to\_s}, #{i.to\_s}" }
> 
> benny

or even

print [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].join(' ,')

benny

> **···**
>
> > > > -----Original Message-----

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![benny1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecc23a/32.png) [@benny1](https://rubytalk.org/u/benny1)\
**Post date:** [5 November 2004 14:08 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/cleaner-way-to-do-this/14615/6 "2004-11-05T14:08:42Z")

</div>

benny wrote:

> arr = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]  
> first = arr.shift  
> print arr.inject(first) { | c, i | "#{c.to\_s}, #{i.to\_s}" }
> 
> benny

now I saw the initial post 🙂  
sorry for the noise

benny

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![David\_A\_Black3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6a8cbe/32.png) [@David\_A\_Black3](https://rubytalk.org/u/David_A_Black3)\
**Post date:** [5 November 2004 14:07 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/cleaner-way-to-do-this/14615/7 "2004-11-05T14:07:00Z")

</div>

Hi --

> **···**
>
> On Fri, 5 Nov 2004, benny wrote:
> 
> > or even
> > 
> > print [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].join(' ,')
> 
> See the very first post in this thread 🙂
> 
> David
> 
> --  
> David A. Black  
> dblack@wobblini.net