Making a name like "Copy of...", "Copy 2 of..."

Here's a little ruby exercise - i'm a bit brain damaged today and can't
think of a nice way to do this.

I want a method where you pass a name as a string and it returns 'copy
of x' or 'copy 2 of x' eg

new_name("My Lesson")
  => "Copy of My Lesson"

new_name("Copy of My Lesson")
  => "Copy 2 of My Lesson"

new_name("Copy 10 of My Lesson")
=> "Copy 11 of My Lesson"

I can only come up with horrible looking solutions but i feel there's a
nice way to do it. Anyone?

cheers
max

···

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Max Williams wrote:

Here's a little ruby exercise - i'm a bit brain damaged today and can't
think of a nice way to do this.

I want a method where you pass a name as a string and it returns 'copy
of x' or 'copy 2 of x' eg

new_name("My Lesson")
  => "Copy of My Lesson"

new_name("Copy of My Lesson")
  => "Copy 2 of My Lesson"

new_name("Copy 10 of My Lesson")
=> "Copy 11 of My Lesson"

I can only come up with horrible looking solutions but i feel there's a
nice way to do it. Anyone?

cheers
max

Use a closure to keep track of how many copies you've made:

def copy(string)
   x = 0
   p = lambda do
     x += 1
     if x == 1
       "Copy of #{string}"
     else
       "Copy #{x} of #{string}"
     end
   end
   p
end

c = copy("My Lesson")

puts c.call

···

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Tim Hunter wrote:

Max Williams wrote:

  => "Copy 2 of My Lesson"

new_name("Copy 10 of My Lesson")
=> "Copy 11 of My Lesson"

I can only come up with horrible looking solutions but i feel there's a
nice way to do it. Anyone?

cheers
max

Use a closure to keep track of how many copies you've made:

def copy(string)
   x = 0
   p = lambda do
     x += 1
     if x == 1
       "Copy of #{string}"
     else
       "Copy #{x} of #{string}"
     end
   end
   p
end

c = copy("My Lesson")

puts c.call
puts c.call
puts c.call

That method returns a proc though, rather than a string. Wouldn't that
mean that every time i want to call it i have to assign it to a variable
and then call that variable? Or am i being dumb? here's my
hacky-feeling solution:

  def copied_name(source_name)
    if source_name.match /^Copy of/i
      new_name = source_name.gsub!(/^Copy of/i, "Copy 1 of")
    elsif source_name.match /^Copy \d+ of/i
      num = source_name.scan(/\d+/).first.to_i
      new_name = source_name.gsub!(/^Copy #{num} of/i, "Copy #{num+1}
of")
    else
      new_name = "Copy of " + source_name
    end
  end

s = "My Lesson"

=> "My Lesson"

copied_name(_)

=> "Copy of My Lesson"

copied_name(_)

=> "Copy 1 of My Lesson"

copied_name(_)

=> "Copy 2 of My Lesson"

···

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Well, taking that approach how about:

def copied_name(source_name)
   case source_name
   when /^Copy of (.*)$/i
     "Copy 1 of #{$1}"
   when /^Copy (\d+) of (.*)$/i
     num = $1.to_i
     "Copy #{num+1} of #{$2}"
   else
     "Copy of #{source_name}"
   end
end

s = "My Lesson" # => "My Lesson"
s = copied_name(s) # => "Copy of My Lesson"
s = copied_name(s) # => "Copy 1 of My Lesson"
s = copied_name(s) # => "Copy 2 of My Lesson"

However, since you used the i option on your regex maybe you wanted to
preserve the case of the "Copy of part" which this doesn't

s = "copy of My Lesson" # => "copy of My Lesson"
s = copied_name(s) # => "Copy 1 of My Lesson"
s = copied_name(s) # => "Copy 2 of My Lesson"
s = copied_name(s) # => "Copy 3 of My Lesson"

If so then this does:

def copied_name(source_name) # !> method redefined; discarding old copied_name
   case source_name
   when /^(Copy )(of .*)$/i
     "#{$1}1 #{$2}"
   when /^(Copy )(\d+)( of .*)$/i
     num = $2.to_i
     "#{$1}#{num+1}#{$3}"
   else
     "Copy of #{source_name}"
   end
end

s = "My Lesson" # => "My Lesson"
s = copied_name(s) # => "Copy of My Lesson"
s = copied_name(s) # => "Copy 1 of My Lesson"
s = copied_name(s) # => "Copy 2 of My Lesson"

s = "copy of My Lesson" # => "copy of My Lesson"
s = copied_name(s) # => "copy 1 of My Lesson"
s = copied_name(s) # => "copy 2 of My Lesson"
s = copied_name(s) # => "copy 3 of My Lesson"

···

On Thu, May 28, 2009 at 8:04 AM, Max Williams <toastkid.williams@gmail.com> wrote:

s = "My Lesson"

=> "My Lesson"

copied_name(_)

=> "Copy of My Lesson"

copied_name(_)

=> "Copy 1 of My Lesson"

copied_name(_)

=> "Copy 2 of My Lesson"

--
Rick DeNatale

Blog: http://talklikeaduck.denhaven2.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/RickDeNatale
WWR: http://www.workingwithrails.com/person/9021-rick-denatale
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/rickdenatale

def copied_name(source_name)
   case source_name
   when /^Copy of (.*)$/i
     "Copy 1 of #{$1}"
   when /^Copy (\d+) of (.*)$/i
     num = $1.to_i
     "Copy #{num+1} of #{$2}"
   else
     "Copy of #{source_name}"
   end
end

I'll go with this one, thanks Rick!

max

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A bit more compact:

  def copied_name(source_name)
    if source_name =~ /\ACopy (\d+ )?of (.*)\z/i
      "Copy #{($1||1).to_i+1} of #{$2}"
    else
      "Copy of #{source_name}"
    end
  end

You can simplify ($1||1) to just $1, if you don't mind starting at Copy
1 of... instead of Copy 2 of...

···

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