How do Ruby programmers handle method overloading? In Java, I could
easily create several methods of the same name that accept a variety of
input.
I know in Ruby, using *args you can accept an unlimited number of
parameters. Do I just this with a series of if statements?
Or is there a common way Ruby programmers handle this?
Thanks again,
Derek
--
Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/.
Hi,
Or is there a common way Ruby programmers handle this?
There are some common patterns, like what you find in Rails for example:
http://railsbrain.com/api/rails-2.3.2/doc/index.html?a=M002313&name=find
I think overloading is very much attached to static typing and not as useful in dynamic languages as it seems. Creating more methods is free and generally more expressive. Polymorphism is implicit (look up what we call 'duck-typing' here). I find that I rarely have the need for overloading in Ruby (or that I overload all the time, depending on which way you look at it - no type signatures means that you can pass in anything at all) - and when I need it, I use the rails-kind named arguments.
greetings,
kaspar
Mostly, I think instead of creating several methods of the same name, Ruby
programmers tend to create methods with different names. Some of the use
cases of overloading can also be addressed with optional arguments, trailing
hash arguments, and so on.
On Sun, Apr 18, 2010 at 10:53 PM, Derek Cannon <novellterminator@gmail.com> wrote:
How do Ruby programmers handle method overloading? In Java, I could
easily create several methods of the same name that accept a variety of
input.I know in Ruby, using *args you can accept an unlimited number of
parameters. Do I just this with a series of if statements?
An easy thing to do is just normalize the data.
def join_strings(a,b)
a.to_s + b.to_s
end
join_strings 'a' , 'b' # => "ab"
join_strings 1 , 2 # => "12"
On Mon, Apr 19, 2010 at 12:53 AM, Derek Cannon <novellterminator@gmail.com>wrote:
How do Ruby programmers handle method overloading? In Java, I could
easily create several methods of the same name that accept a variety of
input.I know in Ruby, using *args you can accept an unlimited number of
parameters. Do I just this with a series of if statements?Or is there a common way Ruby programmers handle this?
Thanks again,
Derek
--
Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/\.
How do Ruby programmers handle method overloading?
ruby programmers do not need it
In Java, I could easily create several methods of the same name that accept a variety of
input.
maybe java people need it 
I know in Ruby, using *args you can accept an unlimited number of
parameters. Do I just this with a series of if statements?
no. you're doing it like in static languages.
Or is there a common way Ruby programmers handle this?
it comes natural when you are *object*-oriented. there will be no need
for overload. you wont even think about it.
maybe you could show us a sample use case of method overloading since
i cannot think of one right now 
best regards -botp
On Mon, Apr 19, 2010 at 1:53 PM, Derek Cannon <novellterminator@gmail.com> wrote:
maybe you could show us a sample use case of method overloading since
i cannot think of one right now
Sure. A simple example of what I wanted to do (using method overloading
in this example for lack of better know-how):
Class XYZ
def initialize(title, days, time, professor)
@title = title
@days = days
@time = time
@professor = professor
end
def initialize(title, days, time, professor, lab_time, lab_days)
@title = title
@days = days
@time = time
@professor = professor
@lab_time = lab_time
@lab_days = lab_days
end
end
--
Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/\.
This one is easy:
Class XYZ
def initialize(title, days, time, professor, lab_time=nil, lab_days=nil)
@title = title
@days = days
@time = time
@professor = professor
@lab_time = lab_time
@lab_days = lab_days
end
end
Jesus.
On Mon, Apr 19, 2010 at 10:39 AM, Derek Cannon <novellterminator@gmail.com> wrote:
maybe you could show us a sample use case of method overloading since
i cannot think of one right nowSure. A simple example of what I wanted to do (using method overloading
in this example for lack of better know-how):