# Need Help with a Very, Very Simple Program **URL:** \ **Category:** Ruby\ **Created:** [July 17, 2009, 1:53am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/need-help-with-a-very-very-simple-program/172224 "2009-07-17T01:53:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![maxnorman](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/3ec8ea/32.png) [@maxnorman](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/maxnorman)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2009, 1:53am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/need-help-with-a-very-very-simple-program/172224/1 "2009-07-17T01:53:56Z")
I’m almost an absolute novice in Ruby; it is my first language and I just began learning the basics yesterday, using Chris P.'s ‘Learning to Program.’ The trouble I’m having is simple, but nonetheless I would appreciate an explanation. The little program I’ve written accomplishes a simple task: it asks for your favorite number, adds one to it, then returns it to you. Here it is: puts ‘Hey there, I’m Uno.’ puts ‘What’s your favorite number?’ number = gets.chomp better = number.to\_i + 1 puts better + ‘…That’s better.’ I’m receiving this error: String can’t be coerced into Fixnum (TypeError).’ Why can’t this variable–which contains a numeric string–be converted into an integer? ---
**Author:** ![maxnorman](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/3ec8ea/32.png) [@maxnorman](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/maxnorman)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2009, 2:05am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/need-help-with-a-very-very-simple-program/172224/2 "2009-07-17T02:05:06Z")
Hi – On Fri, 17 Jul 2009, Max N. wrote: > I’m almost an absolute novice in Ruby; it is my first language and I > just began learning the basics yesterday, using Chris P.'s ‘Learning > to Program.’ Welcome to Ruby! > I’m receiving this error: String can’t be coerced into Fixnum > (TypeError).’ Why can’t this variable–which contains a numeric > string–be converted into an integer? The reason is that better is an integer, but “That’s better.” is a string. So it’s like you’re trying to do: 5 + “hello” and that doesn’t work. You can convert back: puts better.to\_s + “…That’s better” or use Ruby’s string interpolation syntax, which inserts expressions into strings, via the #{} construct, and does the conversion for you: puts “#{better}…That’s better.” I’ve interpolated better, not better.to\_s, and it will automatically be to\_s’d for me. David ---
**Author:** ![maxnorman](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/3ec8ea/32.png) [@maxnorman](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/maxnorman)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2009, 2:05am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/need-help-with-a-very-very-simple-program/172224/3 "2009-07-17T02:05:41Z")
On Thu, Jul 16, 2009 at 4:53 PM, Max N. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > … > puts ‘Hey there, I'm Uno.’ > puts ‘What's your favorite number?’ > number = gets.chomp > better = number.to\_i + 1 > puts better + ‘…That's better.’ You’re looking to the wrong line for the error it’s puts better.to\_s + … John ---
**Author:** ![maxnorman](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/3ec8ea/32.png) [@maxnorman](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/maxnorman)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2009, 2:09am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/need-help-with-a-very-very-simple-program/172224/4 "2009-07-17T02:09:10Z")
David A. Black wrote: > Hi – > > On Fri, 17 Jul 2009, Max N. wrote: > > > I’m almost an absolute novice in Ruby; it is my first language and I > > just began learning the basics yesterday, using Chris P.'s ‘Learning > > to Program.’ > > Welcome to Ruby! > > > I’m receiving this error: String can’t be coerced into Fixnum > > (TypeError).’ Why can’t this variable–which contains a numeric > > string–be converted into an integer? > > The reason is that better is an integer, but “That’s better.” is a > string. So it’s like you’re trying to do: > > 5 + “hello” > > and that doesn’t work. You can convert back: > > puts better.to\_s + “…That’s better” > > or use Ruby’s string interpolation syntax, which inserts expressions > into strings, via the #{} construct, and does the conversion for you: > > puts “#{better}…That’s better.” > > I’ve interpolated better, not better.to\_s, and it will automatically > be to\_s’d for me. > > David > Welcome to Ruby! > Thanks! I look forward to learning what appears to be an incredibly > dynamic language. Ahh…I see. Thank you for that explanation. It’s instances such as these that allow a few basic concepts to come together. ---
**Author:** ![maxnorman](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/3ec8ea/32.png) [@maxnorman](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/maxnorman)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2009, 5:40am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/need-help-with-a-very-very-simple-program/172224/5 "2009-07-17T05:40:06Z")
Hi, On Thu, Jul 16, 2009 at 4:53 PM, Max N.[removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > I’m almost an absolute novice in Ruby; it is my first language and I > just began learning the basics yesterday, using Chris P.'s ‘Learning > to Program.’ Welcome! > The trouble I’m having is simple, but nonetheless I would appreciate an > explanation. The little program I’ve written accomplishes a simple task: > it asks for your favorite number, adds one to it, then returns it to > you. Here it is: > > puts ‘Hey there, I'm Uno.’ > puts ‘What's your favorite number?’ > number = gets.chomp > better = number.to\_i + 1 > puts better + ‘…That's better.’ Looks like a few other folks have already solved your problem, so a quick note on Ruby idiom/features. Ruby lets you use single _or_ double quotes to represent a string. The difference is that double quotes allow variables to easily be inserted in your string. Also, they make it easy to have apostrophes in your strings! A slightly modified example, with no more ' pain: puts “Hey there, I’m Uno.” puts "What’s your favorite number? number = gets.chomp better = number.to\_i + 1 puts “#{better}… That’s better.” ~ j. ---
**Author:** ![maxnorman](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/3ec8ea/32.png) [@maxnorman](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/maxnorman)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2009, 5:52am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/need-help-with-a-very-very-simple-program/172224/6 "2009-07-17T05:52:57Z")
On Fri, Jul 17, 2009 at 11:39 AM, John wrote: > On Thu, Jul 16, 2009 at 4:53 PM, Max N.[removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > > > I’m almost an absolute novice in Ruby; it is my first language and I > > … > > number = gets.chomp > > better = number.to\_i + 1 > > puts “#{better}… That’s better.” to the OP: you could try playing (just for ruby fun) w the above code; make it a one-liner, eg: puts “#{gets.to\_i + 1}… That’s better.” kind regards -botp