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Feature #3131

closed

add Kernel#Hash() method like Kernel#Array()

Added by sunaku (Suraj Kurapati) almost 14 years ago. Updated over 11 years ago.

Status:
Closed
Target version:
[ruby-core:29462]

Description

=begin
Hello,

There is an imbalance of power in the Ruby core API (when it comes
to arrays and hashes) because it is easier to convert nil values
into empty arrays, thanks to Kernel#Array(), than it is to convert
nil values into empty hashes, due to lack of Kernel#Hash().

To correct this asymmetry and restore a balance of power, please
add a Kernel#Hash() method for converting nil, Array, and Hash
values into hashes:

 module Kernel
   def Hash(value)
     if value.respond_to? :to_hash
       value.to_hash
     elsif value.respond_to? :to_ary
       Hash[*value.to_ary]
     elsif value.nil?
       {}
     else
       raise ArgumentError, "invalid value for Hash: #{value}"
     end
   end
 end

For example, here is how I would use the above API:

 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # CASE 1: to_hash
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 real_hash = {:real => true}
 Hash(real_hash) # => {:real=>true}

 fake_hash = Object.new
 def fake_hash.to_hash
   {:fake => true}
 end
 Hash(fake_hash) # => {:fake=>true}

 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # CASE 2: to_ary
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 real_array = [:real, true]
 Hash(real_array) # => {:real=>true}

 fake_array = Object.new
 def fake_array.to_ary
   [:fake, true]
 end
 Hash(fake_array) # => {:fake=>true}

 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # CASE 3: nil
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Hash(nil) # => {}

 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # CASE 4: unsupported arguments
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 >> Hash(true)
 ArgumentError: invalid value for Hash: true
         from (irb):74:in `Hash'
         from (irb):80
         from /usr/bin/irb:12:in `<main>'

 >> Hash(false)
 ArgumentError: invalid value for Hash: false
         from (irb):74:in `Hash'
         from (irb):81
         from /usr/bin/irb:12:in `<main>'

 >> Hash(123)
 ArgumentError: invalid value for Hash: 123
         from (irb):74:in `Hash'
         from (irb):82
         from /usr/bin/irb:12:in `<main>'

Thanks for your consideration.
=end


Files

kernel-hash.patch (2.06 KB) kernel-hash.patch runpaint (Run Paint Run Run), 09/02/2010 11:03 PM

Related issues 1 (0 open1 closed)

Follows Ruby master - Feature #5008: Equal rights for Hash (like Array, String, Integer, Float)Rejectedmatz (Yukihiro Matsumoto)07/10/2011Actions
Actions #1

Updated by sunaku (Suraj Kurapati) almost 14 years ago

=begin
I forgot to show that case 2 supports empty arrays:

Hash([])
=> {}

Just like Kernel#Array() supports empty hashes:

Array({})
=> []

Thanks for your consideration. And sorry for the noise.
=end

Actions #2

Updated by matz (Yukihiro Matsumoto) almost 14 years ago

=begin
Hi,

In message "Re: [ruby-core:29462] [Feature #3131] add Kernel#Hash() method like Kernel#Array()"
on Mon, 12 Apr 2010 08:32:52 +0900, Suraj Kurapati writes:

|There is an imbalance of power in the Ruby core API (when it comes
|to arrays and hashes) because it is easier to convert nil values
|into empty arrays, thanks to Kernel#Array(), than it is to convert
|nil values into empty hashes, due to lack of Kernel#Hash().

Having Hash() might be a good idea. But since conversion from
arrays only meaningful for specific case (array of 2-element arrays),
I am not sure whether Hash() should support conversion from Array in
general or not.

						matz.

=end

Actions #3

Updated by sunaku (Suraj Kurapati) almost 14 years ago

=begin
Hi,

matz wrote:

since conversion from arrays only meaningful for specific case
(array of 2-element arrays), I am not sure whether Hash() should
support conversion from Array in general or not.

Hash::[] does not support conversion from odd-length Array (because
it is uncertain what Ruby must do with the 2n+1'th element) and will
raise an error in such case. So, in my view, Kernel#Hash() need not
support conversion from odd-length Array either.

If you wish to avoid even-length Array conversion in Kernel#Hash()
because odd-length Array conversion is not supported, then I request
that Kernel#Hash() must still support conversion from empty Array
because Kernel#Array() already supports conversion from empty Hash:

Array({})
=> []

In summary, I request that Kernel#Hash() supports conversion from:

  • nil
  • Hash
  • empty Array

It would be nice if Kernel#Hash() also supports conversion from:

  • even-length Array

Thanks for your consideration.
=end

Actions #4

Updated by sunaku (Suraj Kurapati) almost 14 years ago

=begin
Hi,

Please allow me to clarify.

Suraj Kurapati wrote:

Hash::[] does not support conversion from odd-length Array (because
it is uncertain what Ruby must do with the 2n+1'th element) and will
raise an error in such case.

I was referring to this particular behavior:

Hash[1,2,3,4,5,6]
=> {1=>2, 3=>4, 5=>6}

Hash[1,2,3,4,5,6,7]
ArgumentError: odd number of arguments for Hash
from (irb):3:in []' from (irb):3 from /usr/bin/irb:12:in '

I forgot that Hash::[] can convert Array of 2-element Array into Hash:

Hash[1,2,3,4,[5,6],[7]] # non 2-element Array ignored
=> {1=>2, 3=>4, [5, 6]=>[7]}

Hash[[1,2,3,4,[5,6],[7]]] # implicit pair value is nil
=> {5=>6, 7=>nil}

Hash[[1,2,3,4,[5,6],[7,8],[7]]] # previous pair is overwritten
=> {5=>6, 7=>nil}

Thanks for your consideration.
=end

Actions #5

Updated by sunaku (Suraj Kurapati) almost 14 years ago

=begin
Hi Matz,

To avoid delaying this request forever due to unnecessary features,
I have narrowed the requirements for Kernel#Hash() to the following:

Hash() must convert (1) nil, (2) Hash, and (3) empty Array into Hash.

 module Kernel
   def Hash(value)
     if value.respond_to? :to_hash
       value.to_hash
     elsif value.nil? or Array(value).empty?
       {}
     else
       raise ArgumentError, "invalid value for Hash: #{value}"
     end
   end
 end

Thanks for your consideration.
=end

Actions #6

Updated by matz (Yukihiro Matsumoto) almost 14 years ago

=begin
Hi,

In message "Re: [ruby-core:29644] [Feature #3131] add Kernel#Hash() method like Kernel#Array()"
on Tue, 20 Apr 2010 13:36:00 +0900, Suraj Kurapati writes:

|To avoid delaying this request forever due to unnecessary features,
|I have narrowed the requirements for Kernel#Hash() to the following:
|
|Hash() must convert (1) nil, (2) Hash, and (3) empty Array into Hash.

Sounds reasonable. But the new feature window for 1.9.2 was closed.
So, I will consider (positively) adding this feature after 1.9.2 release.

						matz.

=end

Actions #7

Updated by shyouhei (Shyouhei Urabe) almost 14 years ago

  • Status changed from Open to Assigned
  • Assignee set to matz (Yukihiro Matsumoto)

=begin

=end

Actions #8

Updated by sunaku (Suraj Kurapati) almost 14 years ago

=begin
Hi,

Matz wrote:

I will consider (positively) adding this feature after 1.9.2
release.

Thanks Matz! In the mean time, I have created a gem with this
functionality so that people can start using it, if they wish:

http://rubygems.org/gems/kernel_hash

The source code (and unit tests) is available here:

http://github.com/sunaku/kernel_hash

Cheers.
=end

Actions #9

Updated by sunaku (Suraj Kurapati) almost 14 years ago

=begin
Hi,

Please set the "Done %" for this issue to 80%.

The remaining 20% is for (possibly) rewriting
my proposed Kernel#Hash() Ruby code in C.

Thanks for your consideration.
=end

Actions #10

Updated by runpaint (Run Paint Run Run) over 13 years ago

=begin
I believe the attached patch reflects the consensus between matz and Suraj. The only material difference is that a TypeError is raised instead of an ArgumentError for consistency with Integer(), Float(), etc.
=end

Actions #11

Updated by sunaku (Suraj Kurapati) almost 13 years ago

=begin
Integer() and Float() in Ruby 1.9.2 raise TypeError and ArgumentError:

$ irb

ruby 1.9.2p180 (2011-02-18 revision 30909) [x86_64-linux]

Float(nil)
TypeError: can't convert nil into Float
from (irb):6:in Float' from (irb):6 from /usr/bin/irb:12:in '
Float('meow')
ArgumentError: invalid value for Float(): "meow"
from (irb):8:in Float' from (irb):8 from /usr/bin/irb:12:in '

I don't know which error type we should raise in Kernel#Hash().
=end

Updated by matz (Yukihiro Matsumoto) almost 13 years ago

=begin
Hi,

In message "Re: [ruby-core:35857] [Ruby 1.9 - Feature #3131] add Kernel#Hash() method like Kernel#Array()"
on Sat, 23 Apr 2011 08:52:12 +0900, Suraj Kurapati writes:

|Integer() and Float() in Ruby 1.9.2 raise TypeError and ArgumentError:

I think they should raise TypeError, if incompatibly here is not an
issue, I will fix.

						matz.

=end

Updated by sunaku (Suraj Kurapati) over 12 years ago

Any chance of this getting into Ruby 1.9.3? Thanks.

Updated by yeban (Anurag Priyam) over 12 years ago

On Mon, Sep 26, 2011 at 1:52 AM, Suraj Kurapati wrote:

Issue #3131 has been updated by Suraj Kurapati.

Any chance of this getting into Ruby 1.9.3?  Thanks.

Doesn't look like it. See ruby-core 39693.

--
Anurag Priyam

Updated by sunaku (Suraj Kurapati) over 12 years ago

Thanks for the pointer. I'll just wait for Ruby 1.9.4 then.

Updated by matz (Yukihiro Matsumoto) about 12 years ago

I accept this patch for trunk, except that Hash(nil) should return an empty hash, not nil.

Matz.

Updated by ko1 (Koichi Sasada) about 12 years ago

Who should work on it?

Updated by naruse (Yui NARUSE) about 12 years ago

  • Status changed from Assigned to Closed

This has already done, only missed to close.

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