# Re: A more elegant way to do this?

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/re-a-more-elegant-way-to-do-this/60219>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [May 11, 2006, 8:37am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/re-a-more-elegant-way-to-do-this/60219 "2006-05-11T08:37:53Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![dasch](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@dasch](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/dasch)\
**Post date:** [May 11, 2006, 8:37am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/re-a-more-elegant-way-to-do-this/60219/1 "2006-05-11T08:37:53Z")

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> ```
> }
> end #Unless
> }
> 
> ```
> 
> end #unless

use (value||[]), ie:

```
(conf['hosts'][hostname]['groups']||[]).each { |group|
      (conf['crontables'][group]||[]).each { | tab_item|
        tab_entries << tab_item
      }
 }
```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![dasch](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@dasch](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/dasch)\
**Post date:** [May 11, 2006, 12:17pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/re-a-more-elegant-way-to-do-this/60219/2 "2006-05-11T12:17:29Z")

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Thanks for all your replies. I knew there was a better way, I kept  
reading and thinking that I am still not thinking in ruby.