# Use not equal(!=) operator as a Symbol **URL:** \ **Category:** Ruby\ **Created:** [December 29, 2008, 7:59am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/use-not-equal-operator-as-a-symbol/156502 "2008-12-29T07:59:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jun\_YSKim](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/a587f6/32.png) [@Jun\_YSKim](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Jun_YSKim)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2008, 7:59am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/use-not-equal-operator-as-a-symbol/156502/1 "2008-12-29T07:59:23Z")
Hi, all I try to use comparision operator as a symbol type. but, I met the following problems. Here is my example. irb(main):001:0\> a = 1 =\> 1 irb(main):002:0\> a.send(:==, 1) =\> true irb(main):003:0\> a.send(:==, 2) =\> false irb(main):004:0\> a.send(:\>, 0) =\> true irb(main):005:0\> a.send(:\>, 2) =\> false irb(main):006:0\> a.send(:!=, 2) SyntaxError: compile error (irb):6: syntax error, unexpected tNEQ, expecting tSTRING\_CONTENT or tSTRING\_DBEG or tSTRING\_DVAR or tSTRING\_END a.send(:!=, 2) ^ from (irb):6 from :0 irb(main):007:0\> a.send(’==’, 2) =\> false irb(main):008:0\> a.send(’!=’, 2) NoMethodError: undefined method `!=' for 1:Fixnum from (irb):8:in`send’ from (irb):8 from :0 irb(main):009:0\> Is any idea? ---
**Author:** ![Jun\_YSKim](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/a587f6/32.png) [@Jun\_YSKim](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Jun_YSKim)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2008, 8:55am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/use-not-equal-operator-as-a-symbol/156502/2 "2008-12-29T08:55:37Z")
On Dec 28, 2008, at 22:58 , Jun Y. Kim wrote: > irb(main):008:0\> a.send(’!=’, 2) > NoMethodError: undefined method `!=' for 1:Fixnum from (irb):8:in`send’ > from (irb):8 > from :0 there is no ‘!=’ method, there is only ‘==’. you should send ‘==’ and not/! the result: ! a.send(’==’, 2) ---
**Author:** ![Jun\_YSKim](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/a587f6/32.png) [@Jun\_YSKim](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Jun_YSKim)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2008, 9:00am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/use-not-equal-operator-as-a-symbol/156502/3 "2008-12-29T09:00:53Z")
Hi. AFAIK, != gets converted by Ruby when your program is read. For example, foo != bar becomes !(foo == bar). Regards, Yaser S. ---
**Author:** ![Jun\_YSKim](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/a587f6/32.png) [@Jun\_YSKim](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Jun_YSKim)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2008, 9:17am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/use-not-equal-operator-as-a-symbol/156502/4 "2008-12-29T09:17:51Z")
irb(main):006:0\> a.send(:!=, 2) SyntaxError: compile error (irb):6: syntax error, unexpected tNEQ, expecting tSTRING\_CONTENT or tSTRING\_DBEG or tSTRING\_DVAR or tSTRING\_END a.send(:!=, 2) ^ from (irb):6 from :0 As you see, ruby can recognize a != as a tNEG(not equals). so , I convinced a method is existed for this type of a comparison. I have to use a workaround way, ;-\< 1. 1. 29, 오후 4:54, Ryan D. 작성: ---
**Author:** ![Jun\_YSKim](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/a587f6/32.png) [@Jun\_YSKim](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Jun_YSKim)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 1:37am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/use-not-equal-operator-as-a-symbol/156502/5 "2008-12-30T01:37:20Z")
On Dec 29, 2008, at 04:16 , David A. Black wrote: > > > from (irb):8 > > > ruby 1.9.1 (2008-12-14 revision 20738) [i386-darwin9.5.0] > > > true that’s a bug, == and != shouldn’t be able to disagree: > > class X; def == o; :great; end; def != o; :horrible; end; end > > =\> nil > > > x = X.new > > =\> #\ > > > x == 0 > > =\> :great > > > x != 0 > > =\> :horrible ---
**Author:** ![Jun\_YSKim](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/a587f6/32.png) [@Jun\_YSKim](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Jun_YSKim)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2008, 1:17pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/use-not-equal-operator-as-a-symbol/156502/6 "2008-12-29T13:17:45Z")
Hi – On Mon, 29 Dec 2008, Ryan D. wrote: > the result: > > ! a.send(’==’, 2) In 1.9 != becomes a method: $ ruby19 -ve ‘p 1.send("!=", 2)’ ruby 1.9.1 (2008-12-14 revision 20738) [i386-darwin9.5.0] true David ---
**Author:** ![Jun\_YSKim](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/a587f6/32.png) [@Jun\_YSKim](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Jun_YSKim)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 1:37am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/use-not-equal-operator-as-a-symbol/156502/7 "2008-12-30T01:37:56Z")
On Dec 29, 2008, at 00:17 , Jun Y. Kim wrote: > irb(main):006:0\> a.send(:!=, 2) > SyntaxError: compile error > (irb):6: syntax error, unexpected tNEQ, expecting tSTRING\_CONTENT or > tSTRING\_DBEG or tSTRING\_DVAR or tSTRING\_END > a.send(:!=, 2) > ^ > from (irb):6 > from :0 > > As you see, ruby can recognize a != as a tNEG(not equals). no. you’re getting a syntax error because :!= is not a valid symbol, but :"!=" is. Try that and you’ll see that there is no such method. ---
**Author:** ![Jun\_YSKim](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/a587f6/32.png) [@Jun\_YSKim](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Jun_YSKim)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 1:56am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/use-not-equal-operator-as-a-symbol/156502/8 "2008-12-30T01:56:04Z")
Hi, Ryan This is still unavailable way on version 1.8.7. According to previous responses, I think the way to use what I want is just to update ruby’s version :). 1. 1. 30, ¿ÀÀü 9:37, Ryan D. ÀÛ¼º: ---
**Author:** ![Jun\_YSKim](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/a587f6/32.png) [@Jun\_YSKim](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Jun_YSKim)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 1:53am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/use-not-equal-operator-as-a-symbol/156502/9 "2008-12-30T01:53:44Z")
Hi, David. This is a really good news for me 🙂 but, the only option I can take is just a version 1.8.7 ;-\< anyway, thank you~ 🙂 1. 1. 29, ¿ÀÈÄ 9:16, David A. Black ÀÛ¼º: