learnxinyminutes-docs/ruby.html.markdown
2014-03-10 17:05:49 -04:00

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---
language: ruby
filename: learnruby.rb
contributors:
- ["David Underwood", "http://theflyingdeveloper.com"]
- ["Joel Walden", "http://joelwalden.net"]
- ["Luke Holder", "http://twitter.com/lukeholder"]
- ["Tristan Hume", "http://thume.ca/"]
- ["Nick LaMuro", "https://github.com/NickLaMuro"]
- ["Marcos Brizeno", "http://www.about.me/marcosbrizeno"]
- ["Ariel Krakowski", "http://www.learneroo.com"]
---
```ruby
# This is a comment
=begin
This is a multiline comment
No-one uses them
You shouldn't either
=end
# First and foremost: Everything is an object.
# Numbers are objects
3.class #=> Fixnum
3.to_s #=> "3"
# Some basic arithmetic
1 + 1 #=> 2
8 - 1 #=> 7
10 * 2 #=> 20
35 / 5 #=> 7
2 ** 5 #=> 32
# Arithmetic is just syntactic sugar
# for calling a method on an object
1.+(3) #=> 4
10.* 5 #=> 50
# Special values are objects
nil # Nothing to see here
true # truth
false # falsehood
nil.class #=> NilClass
true.class #=> TrueClass
false.class #=> FalseClass
# Equality
1 == 1 #=> true
2 == 1 #=> false
# Inequality
1 != 1 #=> false
2 != 1 #=> true
!true #=> false
!false #=> true
# apart from false itself, nil is the only other 'falsey' value
!nil #=> true
!false #=> true
!0 #=> false
# More comparisons
1 < 10 #=> true
1 > 10 #=> false
2 <= 2 #=> true
2 >= 2 #=> true
# Strings are objects
'I am a string'.class #=> String
"I am a string too".class #=> String
placeholder = "use string interpolation"
"I can #{placeholder} when using double quoted strings"
#=> "I can use string interpolation when using double quoted strings"
#Combine strings but not with numbers
"hello " + "world" #=> "hello world"
"hello " + 3 #=> TypeError: can't convert Fixnum into String
"hello " +3.to_s #=> "hello 3"
# print to the output
puts "I'm printing!"
# Variables
x = 25 #=> 25
x #=> 25
# Note that assignment returns the value assigned
# This means you can do multiple assignment:
x = y = 10 #=> 10
x #=> 10
y #=> 10
# By convention, use snake_case for variable names
snake_case = true
# Use descriptive variable names
path_to_project_root = '/good/name/'
path = '/bad/name/'
# Symbols (are objects)
# Symbols are immutable, reusable constants represented internally by an
# integer value. They're often used instead of strings to efficiently convey
# specific, meaningful values
:pending.class #=> Symbol
status = :pending
status == :pending #=> true
status == 'pending' #=> false
status == :approved #=> false
# Arrays
# This is an array
array = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] #=> [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
# Arrays can contain different types of items
[1, "hello", false] #=> [1, "hello", false]
# Arrays can be indexed
# From the front
array[0] #=> 1
array[12] #=> nil
# Like arithmetic, [var] access
# is just syntactic sugar
# for calling a method [] on an object
array.[] 0 #=> 1
array.[] 12 #=> nil
# From the end
array[-1] #=> 5
# With a start index and length
array[2, 3] #=> [3, 4, 5]
# Or with a range
array[1..3] #=> [2, 3, 4]
# Add to an array like this
array << 6 #=> [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
# Hashes are Ruby's primary dictionary with keys/value pairs.
# Hashes are denoted with curly braces:
hash = {'color' => 'green', 'number' => 5}
hash.keys #=> ['color', 'number']
# Hashes can be quickly looked up by key:
hash['color'] #=> 'green'
hash['number'] #=> 5
# Asking a hash for a key that doesn't exist returns nil:
hash['nothing here'] #=> nil
# Since Ruby 1.9, there's a special syntax when using symbols as keys:
new_hash = { defcon: 3, action: true}
new_hash.keys #=> [:defcon, :action]
# Tip: Both Arrays and Hashes are Enumerable
# They share a lot of useful methods such as each, map, count, and more
# Control structures
if true
"if statement"
elsif false
"else if, optional"
else
"else, also optional"
end
for counter in 1..5
puts "iteration #{counter}"
end
#=> iteration 1
#=> iteration 2
#=> iteration 3
#=> iteration 4
#=> iteration 5
# HOWEVER, No-one uses for loops.
# Instead you should use the "each" method and pass it a block.
# A block is a bunch of code that you can pass to a method like "each".
# It is analogous to lambdas, anonymous functions or closures in other
# programming languages.
#
# The "each" method of a range runs the block once for each element of the range.
# The block is passed a counter as a parameter.
# Calling the "each" method with a block looks like this:
(1..5).each do |counter|
puts "iteration #{counter}"
end
#=> iteration 1
#=> iteration 2
#=> iteration 3
#=> iteration 4
#=> iteration 5
# You can also surround blocks in curly brackets:
(1..5).each {|counter| puts "iteration #{counter}"}
# The contents of data structures can also be iterated using each.
array.each do |element|
puts "#{element} is part of the array"
end
hash.each do |key, value|
puts "#{key} is #{value}"
end
counter = 1
while counter <= 5 do
puts "iteration #{counter}"
counter += 1
end
#=> iteration 1
#=> iteration 2
#=> iteration 3
#=> iteration 4
#=> iteration 5
grade = 'B'
case grade
when 'A'
puts "Way to go kiddo"
when 'B'
puts "Better luck next time"
when 'C'
puts "You can do better"
when 'D'
puts "Scraping through"
when 'F'
puts "You failed!"
else
puts "Alternative grading system, eh?"
end
#=> "Better luck next time"
# cases can also use ranges
grade = 82
case grade
when 90..100
puts "Hooray!"
when 80...90
puts "OK job"
else
puts "You failed!"
end
#=> "OK job"
# Functions
def double(x)
x * 2
end
# Functions (and all blocks) implicitly return the value of the last statement
double(2) #=> 4
# Parentheses are optional where the result is unambiguous
double 3 #=> 6
double double 3 #=> 12
def sum(x,y)
x + y
end
# Method arguments are separated by a comma
sum 3, 4 #=> 7
sum sum(3,4), 5 #=> 12
# yield
# All methods have an implicit, optional block parameter
# it can be called with the 'yield' keyword
def surround
puts "{"
yield
puts "}"
end
surround { puts 'hello world' }
# {
# hello world
# }
# You can pass a block to a function
# "&" marks a reference to a passed block
def guests(&block)
block.call "some_argument"
end
# You can pass a list of arguments, which will be converted into an array
# That's what splat operator ("*") is for
def guests(*array)
array.each { |guest| puts "#{guest}" }
end
# Define a class with the class keyword
class Human
# A class variable. It is shared by all instances of this class.
@@species = "H. sapiens"
# Basic initializer
def initialize(name, age=0)
# Assign the argument to the "name" instance variable for the instance
@name = name
# If no age given, we will fall back to the default in the arguments list.
@age = age
end
# Basic setter method
def name=(name)
@name = name
end
# Basic getter method
def name
@name
end
# The above functionality can be encapsulated using the attr_accessor method as follows
attr_accessor :name
# Getter/setter methods can also be created individually like this
attr_reader :name
attr_writer :name
# A class method uses self to distinguish from instance methods.
# It can only be called on the class, not an instance.
def self.say(msg)
puts "#{msg}"
end
def species
@@species
end
end
# Instantiate a class
jim = Human.new("Jim Halpert")
dwight = Human.new("Dwight K. Schrute")
# Let's call a couple of methods
jim.species #=> "H. sapiens"
jim.name #=> "Jim Halpert"
jim.name = "Jim Halpert II" #=> "Jim Halpert II"
jim.name #=> "Jim Halpert II"
dwight.species #=> "H. sapiens"
dwight.name #=> "Dwight K. Schrute"
# Call the class method
Human.say("Hi") #=> "Hi"
# Variable's scopes are defined by the way we name them.
# Variables that start with $ have global scope
$var = "I'm a global var"
defined? $var #=> "global-variable"
# Variables that start with @ have instance scope
@var = "I'm an instance var"
defined? @var #=> "instance-variable"
# Variables that start with @@ have class scope
@@var = "I'm a class var"
defined? @@var #=> "class variable"
# Variables that start with a capital letter are constants
Var = "I'm a constant"
defined? Var #=> "constant"
# Class also is object in ruby. So class can have instance variables.
# Class variable is shared among the class and all of its descendants.
# base class
class Human
@@foo = 0
def self.foo
@@foo
end
def self.foo=(value)
@@foo = value
end
end
# derived class
class Worker < Human
end
Human.foo # 0
Worker.foo # 0
Human.foo = 2 # 2
Worker.foo # 2
# Class instance variable is not shared by the class's descendants.
class Human
@bar = 0
def self.bar
@bar
end
def self.bar=(value)
@bar = value
end
end
class Doctor < Human
end
Human.bar # 0
Doctor.bar # nil
module ModuleExample
def foo
'foo'
end
end
# Including modules binds the methods to the object instance
# Extending modules binds the methods to the class instance
class Person
include ModuleExample
end
class Book
extend ModuleExample
end
Person.foo # => NoMethodError: undefined method `foo' for Person:Class
Person.new.foo # => 'foo'
Book.foo # => 'foo'
Book.new.foo # => NoMethodError: undefined method `foo'
# Callbacks when including and extending a module are executed
module ConcernExample
def self.included(base)
base.extend(ClassMethods)
base.send(:include, InstanceMethods)
end
module ClassMethods
def bar
'bar'
end
end
module InstanceMethods
def qux
'qux'
end
end
end
class Something
include ConcernExample
end
Something.bar # => 'bar'
Something.qux # => NoMethodError: undefined method `qux'
Something.new.bar # => NoMethodError: undefined method `bar'
Something.new.qux # => 'qux'
```
## Additional resources
- [Learn Ruby by Example with Challenges](http://www.learneroo.com/modules/61/nodes/338) - A variant of this reference with in-browser challenges.
- [Official Documentation](http://www.ruby-doc.org/core-2.1.1/)
- [Ruby from other languages](https://www.ruby-lang.org/en/documentation/ruby-from-other-languages/)
- [Programming Ruby](http://www.amazon.com/Programming-Ruby-1-9-2-0-Programmers/dp/1937785491/) - An older [free addition](http://ruby-doc.com/docs/ProgrammingRuby/) is available online.