Arrays, symbols and association - looking for better idiom

Ruby
1

Hi all,

I’m trying to associate non-symbol arguments with the most immediately
previous
symbol. The solution below works, but I suspect there’s an easier way:

def test(*args)
hash = {}
current = nil
args.each{ |arg|
if arg.is_a?(Symbol)
hash[arg] = []
current = arg
else
hash[current] << arg
end
}

hash

end

hash = test(:foo, 1, :bar, ‘a’, 7, :baz, /hello/, Fixnum)

p hash # {:foo=>[1], :bar=>[“a”, 7], :baz=>[/hello/, Fixnum]}

Any ideas? Some Array#assoc trick I’m missing?

Thanks,

Dan

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2

On Jun 28, 2006, at 1:15 PM, Daniel B. wrote:

  if arg.is_a?(Symbol)

hash = test(:foo, 1, :bar, ‘a’, 7, :baz, /hello/, Fixnum)
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confidential or
privileged information. Unauthorized use of this communication is
strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. If you have received this
communication in error, please immediately notify the sender by
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Well this isn’t any easier but it does use inject:

% cat ruby_hashbuild.rb
def test(*args)
args.inject([Hash.new{|h,k| h[k] = []}, nil]) do |(hash,
current_key), val|
case val
when Symbol
current_key = val
else
hash[current_key] << val
end
[hash, current_key]
end.first
end

hash = test(:foo, 1, :bar, ‘a’, 7, :baz, /hello/, Fixnum)
p hash

% ruby ruby_hashbuild.rb
{:bar=>[“a”, 7], :baz=>[/hello/, Fixnum], :foo=>[1]}