# Simple newbie question **URL:** \ **Category:** Ruby\ **Created:** [May 11, 2006, 2:13am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/simple-newbie-question/94686 "2006-05-11T02:13:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bob](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/ea666f/32.png) [@bob](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/bob)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2006, 2:13am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/simple-newbie-question/94686/1 "2006-05-11T02:13:07Z")
Hi, I’m just starting Ruby and theres something I’m sure is very simple but I just cant get it work. Its an exercise in Chris P.'s tutorial. The question is: Write a program which asks for a person’s favorite number. Have your program add one to the number, then suggest the result as a bigger and better favorite number. My code: puts ‘What is your favourite number?’ number = gets.chomp puts ‘I think ’ + (number.to\_s + 1.to\_s) + ’ is a better number’ is the only way I can get anything to work but this is adding strings so 2 + 1 becomes 21 which is not the objective. Of course, I need the answer to be 3. puts ‘What is your favourite number?’ number = gets.chomp puts ‘I think ’ + (number.to\_i + 1.to\_i) + ’ is a better number’ results in this error “cannot convert Fixnum into String (TypeError)” I’ve tried lots of other combinations but its not happening for me. I know its simple but, hey, I have to start somewhere. Bob ---
**Author:** ![bob](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/ea666f/32.png) [@bob](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/bob)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2006, 2:24am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/simple-newbie-question/94686/2 "2006-05-11T02:24:03Z")
From: “Bob W.” [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) > puts ‘What is your favourite number?’ > number = gets.chomp > puts ‘I think ’ + (number.to\_i + 1.to\_i) + ’ is a better number’ > > results in this error “cannot convert Fixnum into String (TypeError)” One way: puts ‘I think ’ + (number.to\_i + 1).to\_s + ’ is a better number’ Another way (note double quotes instead of single quotes): puts “I think #{number.to\_i + 1} is a better number” Hope this helps, Bill ---
**Author:** ![bob](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/ea666f/32.png) [@bob](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/bob)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2006, 2:24am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/simple-newbie-question/94686/3 "2006-05-11T02:24:08Z")
On May 10, 2006, at 8:13 PM, Bob W. wrote: > number = gets.chomp > puts ‘I think ’ + (number.to\_i + 1.to\_i) + ’ is a better number’ You can call methods on expressions… ( some code ).to\_s ---
**Author:** ![bob](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/ea666f/32.png) [@bob](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/bob)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2006, 2:33am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/simple-newbie-question/94686/4 "2006-05-11T02:33:45Z")
> One way: > > puts ‘I think ’ + (number.to\_i + 1).to\_s + ’ is a better number’ > > Another way (note double quotes instead of single quotes): > > puts “I think #{number.to\_i + 1} is a better number” > > Hope this helps, > > Bill Thanks Bill and Logan, The fog is lifting a little now. Bob