Quizzical?

[Wyatt Greene]

Can you guess what this program will do when run?

a = ?????:????????:??:?????:??
puts a


Feel free to post answers and spoilers to this below. If you don't
want to see the answer, stop reading!

 

[Phrogz]

Can you guess what this program will do when run?

a = ?????:????????:??:?????:??
puts a

Feel free to post answers and spoilers to this below.  If you don't
want to see the answer, stop reading!  

It's either going to be 58 or 63, is my guess before IRB.

 

[vsv]

Can you guess what this program will do when run?

a = ?????:????????:??:?????:??
puts a

Feel free to post answers and spoilers to this below. If you don't
want to see the answer, stop reading!

I guess same as a = ?? ? ?? : _any_

 

[Sebastian Hungerecker]

Can you guess what this program will do when run?

a = ?????:????????:??:?????:??

a = ?? ? ?? : ?? ? ?? ? ?? : ?? : ?? ? ?? : ??
It's pretty clear to see that this will return ??(63) without looking further
into the structure of the code, but let's take a closer look at the order in
which the ternaries are executed anyway:
a = ?? ? (??) : (?? ? (?? ? ?? : ??) : (?? ? ?? : ??))
So we have:
if 63
63
else
if 63
if 63
63
else
63
end
else
if 63
63
else
63
end
end
end
Result: 63