Ruby equivalent of isset()

Rails
1

Hi,

Is there a way to test if a certain (local) variable has been
initialized?

I’d like to do something like

if isset(myvar) and myvar.true?
#some code
else
#default behaviour
end

I have a lot of shared views that I call with params such as {
show_pager => true

Instead of having to explicitly say show_pager => false it should be
possible to make false a default value, right?

Jeroen

2

Jeroen H. wrote:

Hi,

Is there a way to test if a certain (local) variable has been
initialized?

I’d like to do something like

if isset(myvar) and myvar.true?
#some code
else
#default behaviour
end

I have a lot of shared views that I call with params such as {
show_pager => true

Instead of having to explicitly say show_pager => false it should be
possible to make false a default value, right?

Jeroen

The default value is nil, and thus false.

if myvar
#some code
else
#default behaviour
end

Works.

Jules.

3

The default value is nil, and thus false.

if myvar
#some code
else
#default behaviour
end

Works.

That works with @instance vars, but not local vars. You’ll get a
NameError. You can do this, however:

if defined?(my_var)

else

end

–
Rick O.
http://techno-weenie.net

4

irb(main):001:0> hash = {‘a’ => 1, ‘b’ => 2}
=> {“a”=>1, “b”=>2}
irb(main):003:0> hash[‘c’]
=> nil
irb(main):004:0>

5

Not positive but Rails provides a blank? method. Check it out.

Bob S.
http://www.railtie.net/

6

Rick O. wrote:

That works with @instance vars, but not local vars. You’ll get a
NameError.

Exactly.

You can do this, however:

if defined?(my_var)

else

end

Great, this is what I was looking for. I did look in the Ruby docs, but
could find anything under class Object, which class does defined? belong
to?

Jeoen

7

On 2/02/2006, at 10:25 AM, Jeroen H. wrote:

Great, this is what I was looking for. I did look in the Ruby docs,
but could find anything under class Object, which class does
defined? belong to?

It’s a language thing, it doesn’t belong to any object. Not as far as
I can grep anyway.

8

Jules J. wrote:

irb(main):001:0> hash = {‘a’ => 1, ‘b’ => 2}
=> {“a”=>1, “b”=>2}
irb(main):003:0> hash[‘c’]
=> nil
irb(main):004:0>

But this hash has already been initialized. I meant for local possibly
uninitialized vars.

if myvar then puts ‘true’ else puts ‘false’ end
NameError: undefined local variable or method `myvar’ for
#Object:0x13d9b8
from (irb):2

9

defined? is an operator just like &&, and, or etc…

Page 88 of the Pickaxe (116 in the PDF)

Bob S.
http://www.railtie.net/

10

Rick O. wrote in post #29743:

The default value is nil, and thus false.

if myvar
#some code
else
#default behaviour
end

Works.

That works with @instance vars, but not local vars. You’ll get a
NameError. You can do this, however:

if defined?(my_var)

else

end

–
Rick O.
http://techno-weenie.net

 Effective Answer

 Mukto