# True.to\_i

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/true-to-i/74473>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [November 7, 2006, 10:45am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/true-to-i/74473 "2006-11-07T10:45:35Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![leslieviljoen](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/l/3d9bf3/32.png) [@leslieviljoen](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/leslieviljoen)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2006, 10:45am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/true-to-i/74473/1 "2006-11-07T10:45:35Z")

</div>

Hello

I am processing database rows and I see that there are “bit” columns  
that come out of ActiveRecord as true or false. I wanted binary digits  
so I did this:

class FalseClass  
def to\_i  
0  
end  
end

class TrueClass  
def to\_i  
1  
end  
end

…which may or may not be really dumb. So is it really dumb?

–  
Man’s unfailing capacity to believe what he prefers to be true rather  
than what the evidence shows to be likely and possible has always  
astounded me. We long for a caring Universe which will save us from  
our childish mistakes, and in the face of mountains of evidence to the  
contrary we will pin all our hopes on the slimmest of doubts. God has  
not been proven not to exist, therefore he must exist.

- Prokhor Zakharov

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**Author:** ![leslieviljoen](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/l/3d9bf3/32.png) [@leslieviljoen](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/leslieviljoen)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2006, 10:45am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/true-to-i/74473/2 "2006-11-07T10:45:35Z")

</div>

I don’t see a problem with it. There is no to\_i for either class so  
you wouldn’t be overwriting any functionality there. I would say gtg.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![leslieviljoen](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/l/3d9bf3/32.png) [@leslieviljoen](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/leslieviljoen)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2006, 10:45am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/true-to-i/74473/3 "2006-11-07T10:45:46Z")

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Leslie V.:

> class TrueClass  
> def to\_i  
> 1  
> end  
> end
> 
> .which may or may not be really dumb. So is it really dumb?

It isn’t really dumb, but you can get into problems when debugging code  
independent of your ActiveRecord. The issue is basically that you place  
the  
solution of a problem of your record into another class, where it does  
not  
belong. I’d suggest something like (untested)

class MyRecord  
def my\_column\_as\_int  
my\_column? ? 1 : 0  
end  
end

or even (untested as well)

class MyRecord

alias my\_column\_as\_bool my\_column  
def my\_column  
my\_column\_as\_bool ? 1 : 0  
end

alias my\_column\_as\_bool= my\_column=  
def my\_column=(val)  
val = false if val == 0  
self.my\_column\_as\_bool = val  
end

end

Kalman

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![leslieviljoen](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/l/3d9bf3/32.png) [@leslieviljoen](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/leslieviljoen)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2006, 10:45am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/true-to-i/74473/4 "2006-11-07T10:45:49Z")

</div>

On 30.10.2006 16:00, Leslie V. wrote:

> end
> 
> class TrueClass  
> def to\_i  
> 1  
> end  
> end
> 
> .which may or may not be really dumb. So is it really dumb?

Remember that a lot of other values are considered true so converting  
them will either not work (exception) or create all sorts of other weird  
effects if you try to generalize this pattern.

I would prefer a custom conversion function

def bit\_int(x) x ? 1 : 0 end

Kind regards

```
robert
```