# Newb question **URL:** \ **Category:** Ruby\ **Created:** [September 8, 2008, 8:01am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/newb-question/148002 "2008-09-08T08:01:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![rgreen](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/f04885/32.png) [@rgreen](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/rgreen)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2008, 8:01am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/newb-question/148002/1 "2008-09-08T08:01:10Z")
Why does this p 3.times {|i| puts i} produce 0 1 2 3 ??? ---
**Author:** ![rgreen](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/f04885/32.png) [@rgreen](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/rgreen)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2008, 8:05am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/newb-question/148002/2 "2008-09-08T08:05:51Z")
Try p 2.times {|i| puts “Number:#{i}”} u will see the last line is the returncode of i from the last loop Rong schrieb: > ??? – Otto Software Partner GmbH Jan P. (e-mail: removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid) Tel. 0351/49723202, Fax: 0351/49723119 01067 Dresden, Freiberger Straße 35 - AG Dresden, HRB 2475 Geschäftsführer: Burkhard Arrenberg, Heinz A. Bade, Jens Gruhl ---
**Author:** ![rgreen](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/f04885/32.png) [@rgreen](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/rgreen)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2008, 8:08am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/newb-question/148002/3 "2008-09-08T08:08:12Z")
On Sep 8, 2008, at 12:53 AM, Rong wrote: > p 3.times {|i| puts i} > > produce > > 0 > 1 > 2 > 3 The loop outputs 0, 1, and 2. The ‘p’ outputs the value of the entire statement. The times method returns the value of its receiver, which is 3 in this case. Regards Dave ---
**Author:** ![rgreen](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/f04885/32.png) [@rgreen](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/rgreen)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2008, 8:26am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/newb-question/148002/4 "2008-09-08T08:26:22Z")
On Sep 8, 2008, at 1:11 AM, Rong wrote: > But why is it incrementing? Because you asked it to? ## ri Integer.times ---------------------------------------------------------- Integer#times int.times {|i| block } =\> int ``` Iterates block int times, passing in values from zero to int - 1. 5.times do |i| print i, " " end produces: 0 1 2 3 4 ``` ---
**Author:** ![rgreen](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/f04885/32.png) [@rgreen](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/rgreen)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2008, 8:19am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/newb-question/148002/5 "2008-09-08T08:19:20Z")
But why is it incrementing? ---
**Author:** ![rgreen](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/f04885/32.png) [@rgreen](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/rgreen)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2008, 10:30am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/newb-question/148002/6 "2008-09-08T10:30:10Z")
On Sun, Sep 7, 2008 at 11:11 PM, Rong [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > But why is it incrementing? It’s not. n.times {|i| … } calls the block with values from 0 to n-1, then returns n. The loop variable isn’t incremented that one final time, if that’s what you were asking. martin ---
**Author:** ![rgreen](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/f04885/32.png) [@rgreen](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/rgreen)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2008, 3:40pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/newb-question/148002/7 "2008-09-08T15:40:41Z")
Ron G. wrote: > Why does this > > p 3.times {|i| puts i} > > produce > > 0 > 1 > 2 > 3 > > ??? I think that a way to see what they are saying more clearly is thus: ar = Array.new 3.times {|i| ar \<\< i} p ar =\> [0, 1, 2] It does things as expected but internally to the block it has that last bit. I hope that helps. ---
**Author:** ![rgreen](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/f04885/32.png) [@rgreen](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/rgreen)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2008, 10:01am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/newb-question/148002/8 "2008-09-08T10:01:58Z")
On Sun, Sep 7, 2008 at 10:53 PM, Rong [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > Why does this > > p 3.times {|i| puts i} > > produce > > 0 > 1 > 2 > 3 try the following: a = 3.times {|i| puts i} puts “a = #{a}” martin