Default value for any type?

Ruby
1

Hello all.

I have code:

def create_default(type)
type.new
end

But with, for example, Float, it suddenly said:

create_default(Float) #<=== undefined method `new’ for Float:Class
(NoMethodError)

Hmmm? How can I uniformly obtain default value for given class?

Victor.

2

On 4/14/06, Victor S. [email protected] wrote:

create_default(Float) #<=== undefined method `new’ for Float:Class
(NoMethodError)

Hmmm? How can I uniformly obtain default value for given class?

What should the default value for a Float be? What are you trying to
really do here?

There are a number of classes that you’re not going to be able to call
#new on.

-austin

3

create_default(Float) #<=== undefined method `new’ for Float:Class
(NoMethodError)

Hmmm? How can I uniformly obtain default value for given class?

What should the default value for a Float be? What are you trying to
really do here?

There are a number of classes that you’re not going to be able to call
#new on.

Not so long time ago I’ve been a C++ guy. There we could do:
float(); //0.0
int(); //0
…etc…

Generalized version:
template
T create_default()
{
return T();
}

//usage:
create_default(); // => 0.0
create_defaultstd::string(); // => “”

and so on. I think, argument-less constructor, creating some “default”
value, is a very useful thing.

(yes, I can define Float#default and so on for myself :wink: But I want to
know,
why?)

-austin

Austin Z. * [email protected]
* Alternate: [email protected]

Victor.

4

On 4/14/06, Victor S. [email protected] wrote:

create_default(Float) #<=== undefined method `new’ for Float:Class
(NoMethodError)

Hmmm? How can I uniformly obtain default value for given class?

class Float
def Float.new
0.0
end
end

5

Hi –

On Fri, 14 Apr 2006, Victor S. wrote:

create_default(Float) #<=== undefined method `new’ for Float:Class
Not so long time ago I’ve been a C++ guy. There we could do:

//usage:
create_default(); // => 0.0
create_defaultstd::string(); // => “”

and so on. I think, argument-less constructor, creating some “default”
value, is a very useful thing.

(yes, I can define Float#default and so on for myself :wink: But I want to know,
why?)

I guess that’s what I want to know too: why would you expect Ruby
classes to have default instances, and why would you need them too?

David

–
David A. Black ([email protected])
Ruby Power and Light, LLC (http://www.rubypowerandlight.com)

“Ruby for Rails” coming in PDF April 15, and in paper May 5!

6

On Sat, 15 Apr 2006, [email protected] wrote:

I guess that’s what I want to know too: why would you expect Ruby
classes to have default instances, and why would you need them too?

s/too?/to?/ :slight_smile:

David

–
David A. Black ([email protected])
Ruby Power and Light, LLC (http://www.rubypowerandlight.com)

“Ruby for Rails” coming in PDF April 15, and in paper May 5!

7

…etc…
create_defaultstd::string(); // => “”

-austin
is probably a good. one. If you can post some Ruby code that would rely
on something like this that would be great. Maybe the folks on the list
can help you find a solution for you.

Hmmm… Maybe I beginning to understand your point. The task was: before
serializing (or storing in DB) some complex class, ensure that all
fields
aren’t nil. I does some metaprogramming, so description of the fields
looked
like:

class Something
data :name, String, :default => ‘’
data :price, Float, :default => 0.0
data :quan, Fixnum, :default => 0
data :type, String, :default => ‘unknown’
data :coef, Float , :default = > 1.0

def store_in_db
self.validate!
…
end

def validate!
#ensure each field isn’t nil and has right type;
#set it’s value to default in other case
end
end

(I hope the code above is quite self-explaining.)
Later I saw that most of default values seems to like “empty value” of
the
corresponding type (I was C++ guy, remember). So, I want not to write
:default => … for :name, :price, :quan

But after this topic (and Austins and yours answers) I think that
overall
construction don’t looks very rubyish. Maybe, I must look for
alternatives.

Regards,
Matthew D.

Victor

8

Victor S. wrote:

create_default(Float) #<=== undefined method `new’ for Float:Class

}

-austin

Austin Z. * [email protected]
* Alternate: [email protected]

Victor.

Hi Victor,

I think that Austin’s question about what you are trying to accomplish
is probably a good. one. If you can post some Ruby code that would rely
on something like this that would be great. Maybe the folks on the list
can help you find a solution for you.

Regards,
Matthew D.

9

On 4/14/06, Victor S. [email protected] wrote:

float(); //0.0
//usage:

class Something

But after this topic (and Austins and yours answers) I think that overall
construction don’t looks very rubyish. Maybe, I must look for alternatives.

This reminds me of the Metakoans quiz, actually:
http://www.rubyquiz.com/quiz67.html

If you haven’t seen that, it may give you some ideas.

–Wilson.

10

This reminds me of the Metakoans quiz, actually:
Ruby Quiz - metakoans.rb (#67)

If you haven’t seen that, it may give you some ideas.

Ooooooh! Looks really very interesting. Studying.
Big thanks!

–Wilson.

Victor.