# Improperly exiting loop with DATA and \_\_END\_\_

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/improperly-exiting-loop-with-data-and-end/118444>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [October 27, 2007, 12:28am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/improperly-exiting-loop-with-data-and-end/118444 "2007-10-27T00:28:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![robkuz](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/34f0e0/32.png) [@robkuz](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/robkuz)\
**Post date:** [October 27, 2007, 12:28am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/improperly-exiting-loop-with-data-and-end/118444/1 "2007-10-27T00:28:26Z")

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I have this bit of code that loops through the **END** data and does  
some time sheet processing. All that bit works, but when I get to the  
end of the “DATA” I get an error about calling split for a  
nil:NilClass…I an sure it is because I am trying to process the last  
record which is an empty string. I’ve been googling and looking at the  
book for hours, but can not get this bit right. How do I trap the empty  
string and exit the loop properly. Thanks in advance for any help!

Friday – Morning hours 4.75 Afternoon 5.23 total 9.98

hour\_calu.rb:12: private method `split’ called for nil:NilClass

(NoMethodError)

> Exit code: 1

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >

while times = DATA.gets.chomp.split(",")

```
  day_of_week = times[0].split(",")

##bunch of other rubish calculations go here

printf(" %8s -- Morning hours %01.2f day_of_week, morning_e_time)
 week_total =+ morning_e_time + afternoon_e_time

```

end

puts  
##printf(“Weekly total %01.2f\n”,week\_total)

**END**  
Monday,07:46,12:04,12:45,17:09  
Tuesday,08:00,12:28,13:21,18:09  
Wednesday,07:49,12:05,12:58,18:01

Friday – Morning hours 4.75 Afternnon 5.23 total 9.98  
hour\_calu.rb:12: private method `split’ called for nil:NilClass  
(NoMethodError)

> Exit code: 1

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![robkuz](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/34f0e0/32.png) [@robkuz](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/robkuz)\
**Post date:** [October 27, 2007, 12:31am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/improperly-exiting-loop-with-data-and-end/118444/2 "2007-10-27T00:31:20Z")

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Robert K. wrote:

> while times = DATA.gets.chomp.split(",")

May I link to this thread in a possible RCR for a -\> operator (which  
would solve the problem by doing:  
while times = DATA.gets-\>chomp.split(","))?

A solution that works in current ruby:  
while times = DATA.gets  
times = times.chomp.split(",")

Regards  
Stefan

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![robkuz](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/34f0e0/32.png) [@robkuz](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/robkuz)\
**Post date:** [October 27, 2007, 1:00am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/improperly-exiting-loop-with-data-and-end/118444/3 "2007-10-27T01:00:35Z")

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DATA.readlines.each{ |line|  
times = line.chomp.split(",")  
unless times.empty?  
#do stuff here  
p times  
end  
}  
#=\> [“Monday”, “07:46”, “12:04”, “12:45”, “17:09”]  
#=\> [“Tuesday”, “08:00”, “12:28”, “13:21”, “18:09”]  
#=\> [“Wednesday”, “07:49”, “12:05”, “12:58”, “18:01”]

**END**  
Monday,07:46,12:04,12:45,17:09  
Tuesday,08:00,12:28,13:21,18:09  
Wednesday,07:49,12:05,12:58,18:01

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![robkuz](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/34f0e0/32.png) [@robkuz](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/robkuz)\
**Post date:** [October 27, 2007, 1:39am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/improperly-exiting-loop-with-data-and-end/118444/4 "2007-10-27T01:39:51Z")

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Robert K. wrote:

> I have this bit of code that loops through the **END** data and does  
> some time sheet processing. All that bit works, but when I get to the  
> end of the “DATA” I get an error about calling split for a  
> nil:NilClass…I an sure it is because I am trying to process the last  
> record which is an empty string.

Not quite. After the last line of the file has been read, if you call  
gets() again, it returns nil. If your last line was really a blank  
line, you wouldn’t get an error:

line = “”  
processed\_line = line.chomp.split(",")  
puts “—\>#{processed\_line}\<----”

output:  
—\>\<----

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![robkuz](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/34f0e0/32.png) [@robkuz](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/robkuz)\
**Post date:** [October 27, 2007, 11:50am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/improperly-exiting-loop-with-data-and-end/118444/5 "2007-10-27T11:50:52Z")

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On 27.10.2007 01:00, Phrogz wrote:

> **END**  
> Monday,07:46,12:04,12:45,17:09  
> Tuesday,08:00,12:28,13:21,18:09  
> Wednesday,07:49,12:05,12:58,18:01

I believe it’s more efficient if you omit the “.readlines”.

Kind regards

robert