# Simple question re: ruby warning message **URL:** \ **Category:** ruby-talk\ **Created:** [19 February 2009 08:59 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/simple-question-re-ruby-warning-message/51829 "2009-02-19T08:59:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tom\_Cloyd2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tom\_Cloyd2](https://rubytalk.org/u/Tom_Cloyd2)\ **Post date:** [19 February 2009 08:59 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/simple-question-re-ruby-warning-message/51829/1 "2009-02-19T08:59:21Z")
I just set up my first ternary operator expression, and got a warning from Ruby, as a reward! I don't see what the problem might be: The expression: db\_type= 'n' ? db = @nodes\_h : db = @links\_h The warning: ../lib/setnet/SN.rb:781: warning: string literal in condition I use string literals all the time in case statements, and other places, and have never had this objection. Can someone explain the problem to me? I cannot imagine what it might be. Thanks! t. > **···** > > -- > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > Tom Cloyd, MS MA, LMHC - Private practice Psychotherapist > Bellingham, Washington, U.S.A: (360) 920-1226 > \<\< [tc@tomcloyd.com](mailto:tc@tomcloyd.com) \>\> (email) > \<\< [TomCloyd.com](http://TomCloyd.com) \>\> (website) \<\< [sleightmind.wordpress.com](http://sleightmind.wordpress.com) \>\> (mental health weblog) > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ---
**Author:** ![\_Pena\_Botp1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/94ad74/32.png) [@\_Pena\_Botp1](https://rubytalk.org/u/_Pena_Botp1)\ **Post date:** [19 February 2009 09:03 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/simple-question-re-ruby-warning-message/51829/2 "2009-02-19T09:03:30Z")
# db\_type= 'n' ? db = @nodes\_h : db = @links\_h         ^^^ try replacing = with == > **···** > > From: Tom Cloyd [[mailto:tomcloyd@comcast.net](mailto:tomcloyd@comcast.net)] ---
**Author:** ![Stefano\_Crocco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Stefano\_Crocco](https://rubytalk.org/u/Stefano_Crocco)\ **Post date:** [19 February 2009 09:03 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/simple-question-re-ruby-warning-message/51829/3 "2009-02-19T09:03:49Z")
Alle Thursday 19 February 2009, Tom Cloyd ha scritto: > I just set up my first ternary operator expression, and got a warning > from Ruby, as a reward! I don't see what the problem might be: > > The expression: > db\_type= 'n' ? db = @nodes\_h : db = @links\_h > > The warning: > ../lib/setnet/SN.rb:781: warning: string literal in condition > > I use string literals all the time in case statements, and other places, > and have never had this objection. > > Can someone explain the problem to me? I cannot imagine what it might be. > > Thanks! > > t. Ruby thinks you are likely to have written = instead of == in the condition. Stefano ---
**Author:** ![vimal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d2c977/32.png) [@vimal](https://rubytalk.org/u/vimal)\ **Post date:** [19 February 2009 09:19 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/simple-question-re-ruby-warning-message/51829/4 "2009-02-19T09:19:51Z")
I guess your representation (db\_type= 'n') doesn't look like a condition, its like performing an assignment. If its a condition it should be db\_type == 'n' Your representation (db\_type= 'n' ? db = @nodes\_h : db = @links\_h)   assigns db\_type the result of the following:    checks a condition 'n'      if true        db = @nodes\_h      else        db = @links\_h      end Regards, Vimal Das > **···** > > On Feb 19, 1:59 pm, Tom Cloyd \ wrote: > > > I just set up my first ternary operator expression, and got a warning > > from Ruby, as a reward! I don't see what the problem might be: > > > > The expression: > > db\_type= 'n' ? db = @nodes\_h : db = @links\_h ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Cloyd2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tom\_Cloyd2](https://rubytalk.org/u/Tom_Cloyd2)\ **Post date:** [19 February 2009 09:07 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/simple-question-re-ruby-warning-message/51829/5 "2009-02-19T09:07:32Z")
Stefano Crocco wrote: > Alle Thursday 19 February 2009, Tom Cloyd ha scritto: >    > > > I just set up my first ternary operator expression, and got a warning > > from Ruby, as a reward! I don't see what the problem might be: > > > > The expression: > > db\_type= 'n' ? db = @nodes\_h : db = @links\_h > > > > The warning: > > ../lib/setnet/SN.rb:781: warning: string literal in condition > > > > I use string literals all the time in case statements, and other places, > > and have never had this objection. > > > > Can someone explain the problem to me? I cannot imagine what it might be. > > > > Thanks! > > > > t. > >      > > Ruby thinks you are likely to have written = instead of == in the condition. > > Stefano Geee, I wonder why? Good Lord! A real newbie mistake! t. > **···** > > -- > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > Tom Cloyd, MS MA, LMHC - Private practice Psychotherapist > Bellingham, Washington, U.S.A: (360) 920-1226 > \<\< tc@tomcloyd.com \>\> (email) > \<\< TomCloyd.com \>\> (website) \<\< sleightmind.wordpress.com \>\> (mental health weblog) > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ---
**Author:** ![\_Pena\_Botp1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/94ad74/32.png) [@\_Pena\_Botp1](https://rubytalk.org/u/_Pena_Botp1)\ **Post date:** [19 February 2009 09:09 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/simple-question-re-ruby-warning-message/51829/6 "2009-02-19T09:09:46Z")
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**Author:** ![Rick\_DeNatale1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bbce88/32.png) [@Rick\_DeNatale1](https://rubytalk.org/u/Rick_DeNatale1)\ **Post date:** [19 February 2009 17:18 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/simple-question-re-ruby-warning-message/51829/7 "2009-02-19T17:18:33Z")
Which, since any ruby object except nil and false is truthy is effectively the same thing as   db\_type = db = @nodes.h which makes db\_type, and db reference the same object, which is the return valud of @nodes.h > **···** > > On Thu, Feb 19, 2009 at 4:19 AM, vimal \ wrote: > > > Your representation (db\_type= 'n' ? db = @nodes\_h : db = @links\_h) > > > > assigns db\_type the result of the following: > > > >   checks a condition 'n' > >     if true > >       db = @nodes\_h > >     else > >       db = @links\_h > >     end > > -- > Rick DeNatale > > Blog: [http://talklikeaduck.denhaven2.com/](http://talklikeaduck.denhaven2.com/) > Twitter: [http://twitter.com/RickDeNatale](http://twitter.com/RickDeNatale) > WWR: [http://www.workingwithrails.com/person/9021-rick-denatale](http://www.workingwithrails.com/person/9021-rick-denatale) > LinkedIn: [http://www.linkedin.com/in/rickdenatale](http://www.linkedin.com/in/rickdenatale)