# Fixnum, range and array into one single loop? **URL:** \ **Category:** Ruby\ **Created:** [May 6, 2007, 3:25pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/fixnum-range-and-array-into-one-single-loop/103466 "2007-05-06T15:25:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![anansi](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@anansi](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/anansi)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2007, 3:25pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/fixnum-range-and-array-into-one-single-loop/103466/1 "2007-05-06T15:25:38Z")
Hi, I’m struggeling with writing a little script. It has a loop just e.g. like this: for x in 1…10 do begin puts “#{x}” end The userinput is the loop count (so above the userinput would have been 1…10): but now this userinput can be a fixnum like 12 or 36 or it can be a range like 1…10 or 24…84 or an array like [23,41,35,63] and for every 3 different input kinds the loop shall do the same. Like in this example: If userinput is just fixnum 11 it just prints 11 on the screen, is it a range from 1…10 all numbers from 1…10 shall be printed and for an array all single numbers stored in the array…you know what I mean. The actual routine doesn’t print anything it’s just about I have to process numbers which can the user give in, in three different ways and I was wondering if it is possible to build this into one single loop and not three different ones? – greets ``` ( ) ( /\ .-"""-. /\ //\\/ ,,, \//\\ |/\| ,;;;;;, |/\| //\\\;-"""-;///\\ // \/ . \/ \\ (| ,-_| \ | / |_-, |) //` __\.-.-./__ `\\ // /.-(() ())-.\ \\ (\ |) '---' (| /) ` (| |) ` jgs \) (/ ``` one must still have chaos in oneself to be able to give birth to a dancing star ---
**Author:** ![anansi](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@anansi](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/anansi)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2007, 3:36pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/fixnum-range-and-array-into-one-single-loop/103466/2 "2007-05-06T15:36:39Z")
On 06.05.2007 15:20, anansi wrote: > 1…10): but now this userinput can be a fixnum like 12 or 36 or it can > wondering if it is possible to build this into one single loop and not > three different ones? How about def my\_loop(x,&b) case x when /\A\d+\z/ x.to\_i.times(&b) when /\A(\d+)…(\d+)\z/ ($1.to\_i … $2.to\_i).each(&b) when /\A[\s\*\d+\s\*(?:,\s\*\d+\s\*)\*]\z/ eval(x).each(&b) else raise ArgumentError, “Don’t know what to do with: #{x}” end end > > my\_loop(“5”) {|x| p x} > > 0 > > 1 > > 2 > > 3 > > 4 > > =\> 5 > > > my\_loop(“1…5”) {|x| p x} > > 1 > > 2 > > 3 > > 4 > > 5 > > =\> 1…5 > > > my\_loop("[5,3,2]") {|x| p x} > > 5 > > 3 > > 2 > > =\> [5, 3, 2] > > > my\_loop(“1,2”) {|x| p x} > > ArgumentError: Don’t know what to do with: 1,2 > > from (irb):10:in `my\_loop’ > > from (irb):16 > > from :0 > > > Kind regards robert ---
**Author:** ![anansi](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@anansi](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/anansi)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2007, 3:40pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/fixnum-range-and-array-into-one-single-loop/103466/3 "2007-05-06T15:40:39Z")
anansi wrote: > been 1…10): but now this userinput can be a fixnum like 12 or 36 or > and I was wondering if it is possible to build this into one single > loop and not three different ones? Assuming that userinput can only be a Range, Array, or Fixnum…both Range and Array have an each method. Test userinput to see if it responds to :each. If it does, you’re golden. If it doesn’t, it’s a Fixnum. Make an array from the Fixnum by calling Array(). Now iterate over the result using :each. (This is untested but it’ll give you an idea of what to do.) userinput = Array(userinput) unless userinput.respond\_to? :each userinput.each do |x| puts x end P.S. the puts method converts its argument to a string. You don’t need to use “#{x}”. ---
**Author:** ![anansi](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@anansi](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/anansi)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2007, 4:10pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/fixnum-range-and-array-into-one-single-loop/103466/4 "2007-05-06T16:10:42Z")
On 06.05.2007 15:30, Robert K. wrote: > > The userinput is the loop count (so above the userinput would have > > process numbers which can the user give in, in three different ways > > ($1.to\_i … $2.to\_i).each(&b) > > 2 > > > > > my\_loop("[5,3,2]") {|x| p x} > > Kind regards > > ``` > robert > > ``` more elegant: def my\_loop(x,&b) case x when /\A\d+\z/ 1 … x.to\_i when /\A(\d+)…(\d+)\z/ ($1.to\_i … $2.to\_i) when /\A[\s\*\d+\s\*(?:,\s\*\d+\s\*)\*]\z/ eval(x) else raise ArgumentError, “Don’t know what to do with: #{x}” end.each(&b) end more modular: def my\_enum(x,&b) case x when /\A\d+\z/ 1 … x.to\_i when /\A(\d+)…(\d+)\z/ ($1.to\_i … $2.to\_i) when /\A[\s\*\d+\s\*(?:,\s\*\d+\s\*)\*]\z/ eval(x) else raise ArgumentError, “Don’t know what to do with: #{x}” end end robert ---
**Author:** ![anansi](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@anansi](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/anansi)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2007, 4:50pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/fixnum-range-and-array-into-one-single-loop/103466/5 "2007-05-06T16:50:46Z")
Hi thank you both 🙂 I took Tim’s answer because it’s faster and much smaller and my loop had some timeout-problems with the case-when method to solve it. Tim H. wrote: > > The userinput is the loop count (so above the userinput would have > > process numbers which can the user give in, in three different ways > > userinput = Array(userinput) unless userinput.respond\_to? :each > userinput.each do |x| > puts x > end > > P.S. the puts method converts its argument to a string. You don’t need > to use “#{x}”. – greets ``` ( ) ( /\ .-"""-. /\ //\\/ ,,, \//\\ |/\| ,;;;;;, |/\| //\\\;-"""-;///\\ // \/ . \/ \\ (| ,-_| \ | / |_-, |) //` __\.-.-./__ `\\ // /.-(() ())-.\ \\ (\ |) '---' (| /) ` (| |) ` jgs \) (/ ``` one must still have chaos in oneself to be able to give birth to a dancing star