# Ruby misfeature? =\> CONTEST: solve the following problem **URL:** \ **Category:** ruby-talk\ **Created:** [26 April 2003 22:15 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/ruby-misfeature-contest-solve-the-following-problem/5788 "2003-04-26T22:15:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mauricio\_Fernndez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Mauricio\_Fernndez](https://rubytalk.org/u/Mauricio_Fernndez)\ **Post date:** [26 April 2003 22:15 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/ruby-misfeature-contest-solve-the-following-problem/5788/1 "2003-04-26T22:15:07Z")
What’s the output of the following script? Points awarded only if you don’t run it 😉 #raise “Gave up already?” def with(\*objs, &block) objs.each { |o| o.instance\_eval(&block) } end a = % b = % c = % d = % with a,b,c,d do case self when " "; puts “foo” when “\t”; puts “bar” when “\n”; puts “baz” end end This feature has some serious potential for abuse! Good enough for an almost indecipherable obfuscated Ruby program… We shall now see who’s got the best MUA 🙂 > **···** > > – > \_ \_ > > > > \_\_ \_\_ _| |_ \_\_\_ \_ \_\_ \_\_\_ \_\_ \_ \_ \_\_ > > > '\_ \ / _`| __/__ | '_` \_ \ / ` | ’ \ > > > ) | (| | |_\_\_ \ | | | | | (_| | | | | > > > .\_\_/ \_,_|\ __|__ /| |_| |_|\__,_|_| |\_| > > > Running Debian GNU/Linux Sid (unstable) > > > batsman dot geo at yahoo dot com > > A Linux machine! Because a 486 is a terrible thing to waste! > – Joe Sloan, jjs@wintermute.ucr.edu ---
**Author:** ![Ptkwt1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/85e7bf/32.png) [@Ptkwt1](https://rubytalk.org/u/Ptkwt1)\ **Post date:** [27 April 2003 01:51 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/ruby-misfeature-contest-solve-the-following-problem/5788/2 "2003-04-27T01:51:29Z")
In article [20030426221505.GA7411@student.ei.uni-stuttgart.de](mailto:20030426221505.GA7411@student.ei.uni-stuttgart.de), > **···** > > Mauricio Fernández [batsman.geo@yahoo.com](mailto:batsman.geo@yahoo.com) wrote: > > > What’s the output of the following script? > > Points awarded only if you don’t run it 😉 > > > > #raise “Gave up already?” > > > > def with(\*objs, &block) > > objs.each { |o| o.instance\_eval(&block) } > > end > > > > a = % > > > > b = % > > > > c = % > > > > d = % > > > > with a,b,c,d do > > case self > > when " "; puts “foo” > > when “\t”; puts “bar” > > when “\n”; puts “baz” > > end > > end > > > > This feature has some serious potential for abuse! Good enough for an > > almost indecipherable obfuscated Ruby program… > > > > We shall now see who’s got the best MUA 🙂 > > OK, I’ll admit to cheating by running this script… > > I didn’t see it print anything. > > Phil ---
**Author:** ![David\_A\_Black2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/57b2e6/32.png) [@David\_A\_Black2](https://rubytalk.org/u/David_A_Black2)\ **Post date:** [27 April 2003 10:32 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/ruby-misfeature-contest-solve-the-following-problem/5788/3 "2003-04-27T10:32:27Z")
Hi – > **···** > > On Sun, 27 Apr 2003, Mauricio [iso-8859-1] Fernández wrote: > > > What’s the output of the following script? > > Points awarded only if you don’t run it 😉 > > I get no points 🙂 I ran the code, and got no output, but then I ran > the second version and it was fine. > > I didn’t see any surprises in the output. I’m not sure what problem > or misfeature you’re pointing to. (Maybe the Windows compatibility > question?) > > David > > – > David Alan Black > home: [dblack@superlink.net](mailto:dblack@superlink.net) > work: blackdav@shu.edu > Web: [http://pirate.shu.edu/~blackdav](http://pirate.shu.edu/~blackdav) ---
**Author:** ![Mauricio\_Fernndez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Mauricio\_Fernndez](https://rubytalk.org/u/Mauricio_Fernndez)\ **Post date:** [27 April 2003 06:07 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/ruby-misfeature-contest-solve-the-following-problem/5788/4 "2003-04-27T06:07:29Z")
This happens if you select it and then try to copy/paste ‘à la X’; it seems this somehow strips away spaces and/or tabs. When posting I tried to simply copy the code w/ KClipboard and it kept swallowing significant spaces. I guess you’d have to extract the source code directly from the email, ie. save it and then edit everything else away. Or you might use the attached file 🙂 BTW, I’d expect this to behave differently on Windows because of the CR/LF issue… [a.rb](https://rubytalk.org/uploads/short-url/3vsRKfyITk0izNx2rhwdAppmv0V.rb) (247 Bytes) > **···** > > On Sun, Apr 27, 2003 at 10:51:29AM +0900, Phil Tomson wrote: > > > OK, I’ll admit to cheating by running this script… > > > > I didn’t see it print anything. > > – > \_ \_ > > > > \_\_ \_\_ _| |_ \_\_\_ \_ \_\_ \_\_\_ \_\_ \_ \_ \_\_ > > > '\_ \ / _`| __/__ | '_` \_ \ / ` | ’ \ > > > ) | (| | |_\_\_ \ | | | | | (_| | | | | > > > .\_\_/ \_,_|\ __|__ /| |_| |_|\__,_|_| |\_| > > > Running Debian GNU/Linux Sid (unstable) > > > batsman dot geo at yahoo dot com > > People disagree with me. I just ignore them. > – Linus Torvalds, regarding the use of C++ for the Linux kernel ---
**Author:** ![Mauricio\_Fernndez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Mauricio\_Fernndez](https://rubytalk.org/u/Mauricio_Fernndez)\ **Post date:** [27 April 2003 10:42 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/ruby-misfeature-contest-solve-the-following-problem/5788/5 "2003-04-27T10:42:15Z")
The possible misfeature is allowing spaces as delimiters. Can we expect anybody to tell the difference between a = % and a = % ??? IMHO in the original posting def expand(\*args) % args end should complain about the infix operator being used improperly or something similar, instead of parsing “under the hood” as %{args}. > **···** > > On Sun, Apr 27, 2003 at 07:32:27PM +0900, [dblack@superlink.net](mailto:dblack@superlink.net) wrote: > > > Hi – > > > > On Sun, 27 Apr 2003, Mauricio [iso-8859-1] Fernández wrote: > > > > > What’s the output of the following script? > > > Points awarded only if you don’t run it 😉 > > > > I get no points 🙂 I ran the code, and got no output, but then I ran > > the second version and it was fine. > > > > I didn’t see any surprises in the output. I’m not sure what problem > > or misfeature you’re pointing to. (Maybe the Windows compatibility > > question?) > > – > \_ \_ > > > > \_\_ \_\_ _| |_ \_\_\_ \_ \_\_ \_\_\_ \_\_ \_ \_ \_\_ > > > '\_ \ / _`| __/__ | '_` \_ \ / ` | ’ \ > > > ) | (| | |_\_\_ \ | | | | | (_| | | | | > > > .\_\_/ \_,_|\ __|__ /| |_| |_|\__,_|_| |\_| > > > Running Debian GNU/Linux Sid (unstable) > > > batsman dot geo at yahoo dot com > > C is quirky, flawed, and an enormous success > – Dennis M. Ritchie