# Iterate Array and (pretty)print **URL:** \ **Category:** ruby-talk\ **Created:** [13 September 2011 14:33 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/iterate-array-and-pretty-print/63580 "2011-09-13T14:33:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dwight\_schrute1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@dwight\_schrute1](https://rubytalk.org/u/dwight_schrute1)\ **Post date:** [13 September 2011 14:33 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/iterate-array-and-pretty-print/63580/1 "2011-09-13T14:33:58Z")
Hi, I am trying to iterate through an array, convert the output to a string and puts that string. CODE: @hosts = ["test1", "test2", "test3", "test4" puts @hosts.each { |x| print x + "\n" }.to\_s CURRENT OUTPUT: ["test1", "test2", "test3", "test4"] DESIRED OUTPUT: However, I want this output to go into an email message, so I'm want to lose the Square brackets and quotes, so it looks like this (and is a string): test1 test2 test3 Any ideas? Thanks. Dwight > **···** > > -- > Posted via [http://www.ruby-forum.com/](http://www.ruby-forum.com/). ---
**Author:** ![Chris\_White](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e56c9b/32.png) [@Chris\_White](https://rubytalk.org/u/Chris_White)\ **Post date:** [13 September 2011 14:37 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/iterate-array-and-pretty-print/63580/2 "2011-09-13T14:37:58Z")
> I am trying to iterate through an array, convert the output to a string > and puts that string. > > CODE: > > @hosts = ["test1", "test2", "test3", "test4" > puts @hosts.each { |x| print x + "\n" }.to\_s > > CURRENT OUTPUT: > > ["test1", "test2", "test3", "test4"] > > DESIRED OUTPUT: > > However, I want this output to go into an email message, so I'm want to > lose the Square brackets and quotes, so it looks like this (and is a > string): > > test1 > test2 > test3 > > Any ideas? Hi there, In this case I think a simple join would be appropriate: irb(main):001:0\> @hosts = ["test1", "test2", "test3", "test4"] =\> ["test1", "test2", "test3", "test4"] irb(main):002:0\> puts @hosts.join("\n") test1 test2 test3 test4 Regards, Chris White [http://www.twitter.com/cwgem](http://www.twitter.com/cwgem) ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Lv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Larry\_Lv](https://rubytalk.org/u/Larry_Lv)\ **Post date:** [13 September 2011 14:40 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/iterate-array-and-pretty-print/63580/3 "2011-09-13T14:40:32Z")
hi, u have output @hosts' elements in the block? why would you add a puts in front of it? u can do it just with Array.join \*puts hosts.join("\n")\* > **···** > > On Tue, Sep 13, 2011 at 10:33 PM, dwight schrute \ wrote: > > > Hi, > > > > I am trying to iterate through an array, convert the output to a string > > and puts that string. > > > > CODE: > > > > @hosts = ["test1", "test2", "test3", "test4" > > puts @hosts.each { |x| print x + "\n" }.to\_s > > > > CURRENT OUTPUT: > > > > ["test1", "test2", "test3", "test4"] > > > > DESIRED OUTPUT: > > > > However, I want this output to go into an email message, so I'm want to > > lose the Square brackets and quotes, so it looks like this (and is a > > string): > > > > test1 > > test2 > > test3 > > > > Any ideas? > > > > Thanks. > > > > Dwight > > > > -- > > Posted via [http://www.ruby-forum.com/\](http://www.ruby-forum.com/%5C). > > -- > Best Regards, > > Larry Lv > @ Baidu NLP ---
**Author:** ![dwight\_schrute1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@dwight\_schrute1](https://rubytalk.org/u/dwight_schrute1)\ **Post date:** [13 September 2011 15:04 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/iterate-array-and-pretty-print/63580/4 "2011-09-13T15:04:28Z")
Except, I need to put the output into a string. When I use the to\_s method, I end up with square brackets and quotes: irb(main):001:0\> @hosts = ["test1", "test2", "test3", "test4"] =\> ["test1", "test2", "test3", "test4"] irb(main):002:0\> puts @hosts test1 test2 test3 test4 =\> nil irb(main):003:0\> puts @hosts.to\_s ["test1", "test2", "test3", "test4"] =\> nil > **···** > > -- > Posted via [http://www.ruby-forum.com/](http://www.ruby-forum.com/). ---
**Author:** ![dwight\_schrute1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@dwight\_schrute1](https://rubytalk.org/u/dwight_schrute1)\ **Post date:** [13 September 2011 15:11 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/iterate-array-and-pretty-print/63580/5 "2011-09-13T15:11:04Z")
Thank you Harry! That is exactly what I needed 🙂 Dwight > **···** > > -- > Posted via [http://www.ruby-forum.com/](http://www.ruby-forum.com/). ---
**Author:** ![Adam\_Prescott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7feea3/32.png) [@Adam\_Prescott](https://rubytalk.org/u/Adam_Prescott)\ **Post date:** [13 September 2011 21:12 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/iterate-array-and-pretty-print/63580/6 "2011-09-13T21:12:12Z")
Just for completeness since nobody has quite covered it yet, @hosts.each { ... } returns the receiver, which in this case is @hosts, and then you call .to\_s on the result. So, closer to the argument actually passed to puts, you essentially have @hosts.to\_s which is "[\"test1\", \"test2\", \"test3\", \"test4\"]", which, when puts'd, is ["test1", "test2", "test3", "test4"]. However, in your block you also print, so the real, full output should have been: test1 test2 test3 test4 ["test1", "test2", "test3", "test4"] > **···** > > On Tue, Sep 13, 2011 at 3:33 PM, dwight schrute \ wrote: > > > puts @hosts.each { |x| print x + "\n" }.to\_s ---
**Author:** ![Robert\_K1](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/rubytalk.org/robert_k1/32/1830_2.png) [@Robert\_K1](https://rubytalk.org/u/Robert_K1)\ **Post date:** [13 September 2011 14:51 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/iterate-array-and-pretty-print/63580/7 "2011-09-13T14:51:25Z")
You don't even need the join. irb(main):001:0\> @hosts = ["test1", "test2", "test3", "test4"] =\> ["test1", "test2", "test3", "test4"] irb(main):002:0\> puts @hosts test1 test2 test3 test4 =\> nil irb(main):003:0\> Cheers robert > **···** > > On Tue, Sep 13, 2011 at 4:40 PM, Larry Lv \ wrote: > > > hi, > > > > u have output @hosts' elements in the block? why would you add a puts in > > front of it? > > > > u can do it just with Array.join > > > > \*puts hosts.join("\n")\* > > -- > remember.guy do |as, often| as.you\_can - without end > [http://blog.rubybestpractices.com/](http://blog.rubybestpractices.com/) ---
**Author:** ![Harry3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/54ee81/32.png) [@Harry3](https://rubytalk.org/u/Harry3)\ **Post date:** [13 September 2011 15:06 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/iterate-array-and-pretty-print/63580/8 "2011-09-13T15:06:48Z")
> You don't even need the join. > > irb(main):001:0\> @hosts = ["test1", "test2", "test3", "test4"] > =\> ["test1", "test2", "test3", "test4"] > irb(main):002:0\> puts @hosts > test1 > test2 > test3 > test4 > =\> nil > irb(main):003:0\> > > Cheers > > robert But, he wants it to be a string. print @hosts.map{|x| x + "\n"}.join Harry ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Vandenabeele1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/59ef9b/32.png) [@Peter\_Vandenabeele1](https://rubytalk.org/u/Peter_Vandenabeele1)\ **Post date:** [13 September 2011 15:17 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/iterate-array-and-pretty-print/63580/9 "2011-09-13T15:17:16Z")
> \> hi, > \> > \> u have output @hosts' elements in the block? why would you add a puts in > \> front of it? > \> > \> u can do it just with Array.join > \> > \> \*puts hosts.join("\n")m\* > > You don't even need the join. > > irb(main):001:0\> @hosts = ["test1", "test2", "test3", "test4"] > =\> ["test1", "test2", "test3", "test4"] > irb(main):002:0\> puts @hosts > test1 > test2 > test3 > test4 > =\> nil > irb(main):003:0\> I think this is just an artefact of "puts" and not relevant for the initial problem. If the original posters wants to have it in an e-mail, he will probably will want to interpolate in a template. Using simply the @hosts as is suggested above will then yield this: $ ruby \<\ EOF test1test2test3test4 I think the OP probably needed to use 'map' instead of 'each'. pev@pev-desktop:~/a$ ruby \<\ puts hosts\_string > EOF test1 test2 test3 test4 HTH, Peter > **···** > > On Tue, Sep 13, 2011 at 4:51 PM, Robert Klemme \wrote: > > > On Tue, Sep 13, 2011 at 4:40 PM, Larry Lv \ wrote: > > > Cheers > > > > robert > > > > -- > > remember.guy do |as, often| as.you\_can - without end > > [http://blog.rubybestpractices.com/](http://blog.rubybestpractices.com/) > > -- > Peter Vandenabeele > gsm: +32-478-27.40.69 > e-mail: peter@vandenabeele.com > [http://twitter.com/peter\_v](http://twitter.com/peter_v)