# How can this Java method header be represented in Ruby

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-can-this-java-method-header-be-represented-in-ruby/195230>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [September 20, 2010, 11:07am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-can-this-java-method-header-be-represented-in-ruby/195230 "2010-09-20T11:07:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![swengineer](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/97f17d/32.png) [@swengineer](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/swengineer)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 11:07am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-can-this-java-method-header-be-represented-in-ruby/195230/1 "2010-09-20T11:07:50Z")

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I have a Java method header that looks something like follows:

public static short[][] setFile(String fileName)  
{  
…  
}

How can I write this in Ruby?

Thanks.

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**Author:** ![swengineer](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/97f17d/32.png) [@swengineer](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/swengineer)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 11:19am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-can-this-java-method-header-be-represented-in-ruby/195230/2 "2010-09-20T11:19:03Z")

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def setFile(fileName)  
…  
end

You do realise that Ruby is a dynamic language, there is no typing?

How you name your methods and variables is up to you but I would go with

def set\_file(filename)  
…  
end

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**Author:** ![swengineer](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/97f17d/32.png) [@swengineer](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/swengineer)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 11:24am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-can-this-java-method-header-be-represented-in-ruby/195230/3 "2010-09-20T11:24:38Z")

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Peter H. wrote:

> def setFile(fileName)  
> …  
> end
> 
> You do realise that Ruby is a dynamic language, there is no typing?
> 
> How you name your methods and variables is up to you but I would go with
> 
> def set\_file(filename)  
> …  
> end

Thanks @Peter. And, of course, the second form is more suitable  
especially for Ruby convention.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![swengineer](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/97f17d/32.png) [@swengineer](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/swengineer)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 11:41am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-can-this-java-method-header-be-represented-in-ruby/195230/4 "2010-09-20T11:41:56Z")

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Peter H. wrote:

> How you name your methods and variables is up to you but I would go with
> 
> def set\_file(filename)  
> …  
> end

Or even:

def file=(filename)  
…  
end

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![swengineer](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/97f17d/32.png) [@swengineer](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/swengineer)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 11:25am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-can-this-java-method-header-be-represented-in-ruby/195230/5 "2010-09-20T11:25:47Z")

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@Peter. Ruby is a dynamic language, sure it is 🙂

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![swengineer](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/97f17d/32.png) [@swengineer](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/swengineer)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 11:45am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-can-this-java-method-header-be-represented-in-ruby/195230/6 "2010-09-20T11:45:15Z")

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Brian C. wrote:

> Peter H. wrote:
> 
> > How you name your methods and variables is up to you but I would go with
> > 
> > def set\_file(filename)  
> > …  
> > end
> 
> Or even:
> 
> def file=(filename)  
> …  
> end

Thanks @Brian. A nice one!

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![swengineer](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/97f17d/32.png) [@swengineer](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/swengineer)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 3:57pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-can-this-java-method-header-be-represented-in-ruby/195230/7 "2010-09-20T15:57:07Z")

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On Mon, Sep 20, 2010 at 2:42 AM, Brian C. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid)  
wrote:

> def file=(filename)  
> …  
> end

However, the ‘static’ in

public static short[][] setFile(String fileName)

means it’s a class, not instance, method so

def self.file=(filename)  
end

FWIW,

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![swengineer](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/97f17d/32.png) [@swengineer](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/swengineer)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 4:00pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-can-this-java-method-header-be-represented-in-ruby/195230/8 "2010-09-20T16:00:02Z")

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Thanks all for your replies.