"<" method for array

[Eva]

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[Yossef Mendelssohn]

Hi,

I hate there is not a "<" method for array object.
Since there is the "<<" for adding an element, why not have the "<" for t=

runcating then filling up the array?

I know I can write one:

irb(main):009:0> class Array
irb(main):010:1> =A0 def <(a)
irb(main):011:2> =A0 =A0 =A0clear
irb(main):012:2> =A0 =A0 =A0self << a
irb(main):013:2> =A0 end
irb(main):014:1> end

But it's not that convenient when I want it.

That would surprise the hell out of me.

Established convention is that << is the "left shift" or "append"
operator, which will change the receiver. On the other hand, < is the
"less than" operator, which simply compares the receiver to the
argument, no change whatsoever.

You *can* redefine < to do whatever you want, but I'm not sure why you
would define it this way.

 

[botp]

But it's not that convenient when I want it.

what do you mean? (apology for my english is poor)

kind regards -botp

 

[Brian Candler]

Eva wrote in post #964024:

I hate there is not a "<" method for array object.

If there were, I would expect it to work like this:

class Array
include Comparable
end
[1] < [2] => true
[1] < [1] => false
[1] < [1,0]

=> true

Since there is the "<<" for adding an element, why not have the "<" for
truncating then filling up the array?

Array#replace already does that, except you have to give it the element
also wrapped in an Array.

a = [1,2,3] => [1, 2, 3]
a.object_id => 69928599426960
a.replace [4] => [4]
a => [4]
a.object_id

=> 69928599426960