# Re: Quickest way to do this string op

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/re-quickest-way-to-do-this-string-op/54703>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [March 13, 2006, 2:37pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/re-quickest-way-to-do-this-string-op/54703 "2006-03-13T14:37:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![KroegerS\_Simon\_Sext](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/57b2e6/32.png) [@KroegerS\_Simon\_Sext](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/KroegerS_Simon_Sext)\
**Post date:** [March 13, 2006, 2:37pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/re-quickest-way-to-do-this-string-op/54703/1 "2006-03-13T14:37:44Z")

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> “BOCA RATON”.replace “Boca Raton” # 😛
> 
> Probably
> 
> “BOCA RATON”.split(/\b/).map{|s| s.capitalize }.join
> 
> It is quick to write, at least…
> 
> HTH

“BOCA RATON”.gsub(/\w+/){|w| w.capitalize}

is even shorter 🙂

cheers

Simon

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![KroegerS\_Simon\_Sext](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/57b2e6/32.png) [@KroegerS\_Simon\_Sext](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/KroegerS_Simon_Sext)\
**Post date:** [March 13, 2006, 2:37pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/re-quickest-way-to-do-this-string-op/54703/2 "2006-03-13T14:37:44Z")

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Hi,

I’m new to Ruby but can’t you just use :

“BOCA RATON”.capitalize

?

Cheers,

Pete

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![KroegerS\_Simon\_Sext](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/57b2e6/32.png) [@KroegerS\_Simon\_Sext](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/KroegerS_Simon_Sext)\
**Post date:** [March 13, 2006, 2:46pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/re-quickest-way-to-do-this-string-op/54703/3 "2006-03-13T14:46:52Z")

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Answer : No you can’t. Please ignore me 😉

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![KroegerS\_Simon\_Sext](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/57b2e6/32.png) [@KroegerS\_Simon\_Sext](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/KroegerS_Simon_Sext)\
**Post date:** [March 13, 2006, 3:29pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/re-quickest-way-to-do-this-string-op/54703/4 "2006-03-13T15:29:51Z")

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Peter P. wrote:

> Answer : No you can’t. Please ignore me 😉

Do we ignore the message asking us to ignore you?

🙂

Anyway, you were on the right track, but the string needs to be chunked  
on white space, then regrouped.

“BOCA RATON”.split( /\s/ ).map{ |w| w.capitalize }.join( ’ ’ )

If one tends to do this a lot, it can be added as an instance method to  
String:

class String  
def titlize  
self.split( /\s/).map{ |w| w.capitalize }.join( ’ ’ )  
end  
end

“BOCA RATON”.titlize

–  
James B.

?Design depends largely on constraints.?  
? Charles Eames

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![KroegerS\_Simon\_Sext](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/57b2e6/32.png) [@KroegerS\_Simon\_Sext](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/KroegerS_Simon_Sext)\
**Post date:** [March 13, 2006, 7:02pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/re-quickest-way-to-do-this-string-op/54703/5 "2006-03-13T19:02:14Z")

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On Monday 13 March 2006 08:36 am, Peter P. wrote:

> Hi,
> 
> I’m new to Ruby but can’t you just use :
> 
> “BOCA RATON”.capitalize

Nope! (That gives =\> “Boca raton”).

And, even as a Ruby newbie, I determined in seconds.

The real point of my post is to say that, while I’m learning Ruby, I  
have IRB  
open in a konsole right next to kmail–it’s very nice to quickly plug a  
piece  
of code in there and do some testing (confirm it works, take bits off  
the end  
to see intermediate results, etc.).

regards,  
Randy K.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![KroegerS\_Simon\_Sext](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/57b2e6/32.png) [@KroegerS\_Simon\_Sext](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/KroegerS_Simon_Sext)\
**Post date:** [March 13, 2006, 3:20pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/re-quickest-way-to-do-this-string-op/54703/6 "2006-03-13T15:20:35Z")

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Peter P. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) writes:

> I’m new to Ruby but can’t you just use :
> 
> “BOCA RATON”.capitalize

irb(main):001:0\> “BOCA RATON”.capitalize  
=\> “Boca raton”

Regards,  
Tassilo