I have a simple case of a hash that's passed along that is missing a field.
I'm wondering which is the preferred way of adding the field with some default and whether or not are there benefits to choosing one over the other and when?
hash['field'] = some_value
vs
hash.merge!({ 'field' => some_value })
edit: meant to use merge!
First, an important note: Hash#merge returns a new object, whereas Hash#[]= and Hash#merge! mutate the existing object:
hash = {a: :b}
hash.merge(c: :d) # => {a: :b, c: :d}
puts hash # => {a: :b} (!!!)
hash[:c] = :d
puts hash # => {a: :b, c: :d}
hash.merge!(e: :f)
puts hash # => {a: :b, c: :d, e: :f}
The main use-case for using Hash#merge! over Hash#[]= is (as the name suggests!) when you have two existing hashes that need to be merged together:
hash1 = {a: :b, c: :d}
hash2 = {e: :f, g: :h}
hash1.merge!(hash2)
puts hash1 # => {a: :b, c: :d, e: :f, g: :h}
This is equivalent to, but more convenient than, the much more verbose approach of looping through all values in hash2:
hash2.each do |key, value|
hash1[key] = value
end
I'm wondering which is the preferred way of adding the field with some default
I'd store the defaults in an extra hash (even if it is just a single value), so I can easily add other values later:
defaults = { foo: 1, bar: 2 }
Then, I'd merge the defaults in a way that preserve the given value, either by creating a new hash:
hash = { foo: 100, baz: 300 }
hash = defaults.merge(hash)
#=> {:foo=>100, :bar=>2, :baz=>300}
or by changing the hash in-place:
hash = { foo: 100, baz: 300 }
hash.merge!(defaults) { |key, given_value, default_value| given_value }
#=> {:foo=>100, :baz=>300, :bar=>2}
the first approach changes the hash itself (no new object is created)
the second creates new instance of Hash class with keys from both original hash and { 'field' => some_value } (compare object_id of hash and of result of hash.merge({ 'field' => some_value }) - they'll be different)
which one to choose?
it depends - if changing state of hash is not a problem for you, then the first approach is ok.
Context:
What I'm trying to do is make an Rspec shared_example called something like update response that checks a rails json response of an object and verifies that certain attributes are updated. The json response may or may not have nested attributes. The keys cannot be known ahead of time.
Example:
Say I have a hash, hsh = {one_deep: 123, nested: {a: 1, b: 2}}:
I can dynamically send the hash a key if it's one level deep.
def get_value(some_key)
hsh.send(:[], some_key)
end
get_value(:one_deep) # => 123
I can access a nested hash if I hard code the method chain:
def get_value(some_key, another_key)
hsh.send(:[], some_key).send(:[], another_key)
end
get_value(:nested, :a) # => 1
get_value(:nested, :b) # => 2
Desired Endstate:
# The hash key could be 'n' levels deep
#
# This doesn't work... maybe use recursion somehow?
def get_value(*some_keys)
some_keys.each do |key|
hsh.send(:[], key)
end
end
get_value(:nested, :a) # => should output 1
get_value(:nested, :b) # => should output 2
If you are using, Ruby 2.3.1, then you can use #dig method to fetch the value of a key from nested Hash.
For Ruby versions prior to 2.3.1 it's easy to implement Hash#dig.
class Hash
def dig(*keys)
keys.reduce(self) { |obj, k| obj && obj[k] }
end
end
If obj[k] is nil, obj will be set to nil and remain equal to nil.
Let's try it.
h = { a: 1, b: { c: 2, d: { e: "cat" } } }
h.dig(:a) #=> 1
h.dig(:dog) #=> nil
h.dig(:b, :c) #=> 2
h.dig(:b, :d) #=> {:e=>"cat"}
h.dig(:b, :d, :e) #=> "cat"
h.dig(:b, :pig, :e) #=> nil
Is there a better way to write this? basically I want to add an argument to a hash. if the argument is a key-val pair, then id like to add it as is. if the argument is a string i'd like to add it as a key with a nil value. the below code works, but is there a more appropriate (simple) way?
2nd question, does calling an each method on an array with two arguments |key, val| automatically convert an array to a hash as it appears to?
#some_hash = {}
def some_method(input)
if input.is_a? Hash
input.each {|key, val| #some_hash[key] = val}
else
input.split(" ").each {|key, val| #some_hash[key] = val}
end
end
some_method("key" => "val")
This gives the result as instructed in the question, but it works differently from the code OP gave (which means that the OP's code does not work as it says):
#some_hash = {}
def some_method(input)
case input
when Hash then #some_hash.merge!(input)
when String then #some_hash[input] = nil
end
end
some_method("foo" => "bar")
some_method("baz")
#some_hash # => {"foo" => "bar", "baz" => nil}
Second question
An array is never automatically converted to a hash. What you are probably mentioning is the fact that the elements of an array within an array [[:foo, :bar]] can be referred to separately in:
[[:foo, :bar]].each{|f, b| puts f; puts b}
# => foo
# => bar
That is due to destructive assignment. When necessary, Ruby takes out the elements of an array as separate things and tries to adjust the number of variables. It is the same as:
f, b = [:foo, :bar]
f # => :foo
b # => :bar
Here, you don't get f # => [:foo, :bar] and b # => nil.
I'm defining a hash with an array as a key and another array as its value. For example:
for_example = {[0,1] => [:a, :b, :c]}
Everything is as expected below.
my_hash = Hash.new([])
an_array_as_key = [4,2]
my_hash[an_array_as_key] #=> []
my_hash[an_array_as_key] << "the" #=> ["the"]
my_hash[an_array_as_key] << "universal" #=> ["the", "universal"]
my_hash[an_array_as_key] << "answer" #=> ["the", "universal", "answer"]
But if I try to access the keys:
my_hash #=> {}
my_hash.keys #=> []
my_hash.count #=> 0
my_hash.values #=> []
my_hash.fetch(an_array_as_key) # KeyError: key not found: [4, 2]
my_hash.has_key?(an_array_as_key) #=> false
Rehash doesn't help:
my_hash #=> {}
my_hash.rehash #=> {}
my_hash.keys #=> []
But the values are saved:
my_hash[an_array_as_key] #=> ["the", "universal", "answer"]
Am I missing something?
To understand this, You need to understand the difference between Hash::new and Hash::new(ob). Suppose you define a hash object using Hash::new or hash literal {}. Now whenever you will write a code hsh[any_key], there is two kind of output may be seen, if any_key don't exist, then default value nil will be returned,otherwise whatever value is associated with the key will be returned. The same explanation will be applicable if you create any Hash object using Hash.new.
Now Hash.new(ob) is same as Hash.new, with one difference is, you can set any default value you want, for non existent keys of that hash object.
my_hash = Hash.new([])
my_hash[2] # => []
my_hash[2].object_id # => 83664630
my_hash[4] # => []
my_hash[4].object_id # => 83664630
my_hash[3] << 4 # => [4]
my_hash[3] # => [4]
my_hash[3].object_id # => 83664630
my_hash[5] << 8 # => [4, 8]
my_hash[5] # => [4, 8]
my_hash[5].object_id # => 83664630
Now see in the above example my_hash has no keys like 2,3 and 4. But the object_id proved that, all key access results in to return the same array object. my_hash[2] is not adding the key to the hash my_hash, rather trying to access the value of the key 2 if that key exist, otherwise it is returning the default value of my_hash. Remember all lines like my_hash[2],my_hash[3] etc is nothing but a call to Hash#[] method.
But there is a third way to go, may be you are looking for, which is Hash::new {|hash, key| block }.With this style you can add key to the hash object if that key doesn't exist, with a default value of same class instance,but not the same instance., while you are doing actually Hash#[] method call.
my_hash = Hash.new { |hash, key| hash[key] = []}
my_hash[2] # => []
my_hash[2].object_id # => 76312700
my_hash[3] # => []
my_hash[3].object_id # => 76312060
my_hash.keys # => [2, 3]
What's the (fastest/cleanest/straightforward) way to convert all keys in a hash from strings to symbols in Ruby?
This would be handy when parsing YAML.
my_hash = YAML.load_file('yml')
I'd like to be able to use:
my_hash[:key]
Rather than:
my_hash['key']
In Ruby >= 2.5 (docs) you can use:
my_hash.transform_keys(&:to_sym)
Using older Ruby version? Here is a one-liner that will copy the hash into a new one with the keys symbolized:
my_hash = my_hash.inject({}){|memo,(k,v)| memo[k.to_sym] = v; memo}
With Rails you can use:
my_hash.symbolize_keys
my_hash.deep_symbolize_keys
Here's a better method, if you're using Rails:
params.symbolize_keys
The end.
If you're not, just rip off their code (it's also in the link):
myhash.keys.each do |key|
myhash[(key.to_sym rescue key) || key] = myhash.delete(key)
end
For the specific case of YAML in Ruby, if the keys begin with ':', they will be automatically interned as symbols.
require 'yaml'
require 'pp'
yaml_str = "
connections:
- host: host1.example.com
port: 10000
- host: host2.example.com
port: 20000
"
yaml_sym = "
:connections:
- :host: host1.example.com
:port: 10000
- :host: host2.example.com
:port: 20000
"
pp yaml_str = YAML.load(yaml_str)
puts yaml_str.keys.first.class
pp yaml_sym = YAML.load(yaml_sym)
puts yaml_sym.keys.first.class
Output:
# /opt/ruby-1.8.6-p287/bin/ruby ~/test.rb
{"connections"=>
[{"port"=>10000, "host"=>"host1.example.com"},
{"port"=>20000, "host"=>"host2.example.com"}]}
String
{:connections=>
[{:port=>10000, :host=>"host1.example.com"},
{:port=>20000, :host=>"host2.example.com"}]}
Symbol
if you're using Rails, it is much simpler - you can use a HashWithIndifferentAccess and access the keys both as String and as Symbols:
my_hash.with_indifferent_access
see also:
http://api.rubyonrails.org/classes/ActiveSupport/HashWithIndifferentAccess.html
Or you can use the awesome "Facets of Ruby" Gem, which contains a lot of extensions to Ruby Core and Standard Library classes.
require 'facets'
> {'some' => 'thing', 'foo' => 'bar'}.symbolize_keys
=> {:some=>"thing", :foo=>"bar}
see also:
http://rubyworks.github.io/rubyfaux/?doc=http://rubyworks.github.io/facets/docs/facets-2.9.3/core.json#api-class-Hash
Even more terse:
Hash[my_hash.map{|(k,v)| [k.to_sym,v]}]
Since Ruby 2.5.0 you can use Hash#transform_keys or Hash#transform_keys!.
{'a' => 1, 'b' => 2}.transform_keys(&:to_sym) #=> {:a => 1, :b => 2}
http://api.rubyonrails.org/classes/Hash.html#method-i-symbolize_keys
hash = { 'name' => 'Rob', 'age' => '28' }
hash.symbolize_keys
# => { name: "Rob", age: "28" }
If you are using json, and want to use it as a hash, in core Ruby you can do it:
json_obj = JSON.parse(json_str, symbolize_names: true)
symbolize_names: If set to true, returns symbols for the names (keys) in a JSON object. Otherwise strings are returned. Strings are the default.
Doc: Json#parse symbolize_names
Here's a way to deep symbolize an object
def symbolize(obj)
return obj.inject({}){|memo,(k,v)| memo[k.to_sym] = symbolize(v); memo} if obj.is_a? Hash
return obj.inject([]){|memo,v | memo << symbolize(v); memo} if obj.is_a? Array
return obj
end
I really like the Mash gem.
you can do mash['key'], or mash[:key], or mash.key
A modification to #igorsales answer
class Object
def deep_symbolize_keys
return self.inject({}){|memo,(k,v)| memo[k.to_sym] = v.deep_symbolize_keys; memo} if self.is_a? Hash
return self.inject([]){|memo,v | memo << v.deep_symbolize_keys; memo} if self.is_a? Array
return self
end
end
params.symbolize_keys will also work. This method turns hash keys into symbols and returns a new hash.
In Rails you can use:
{'g'=> 'a', 2 => {'v' => 'b', 'x' => { 'z' => 'c'}}}.deep_symbolize_keys!
Converts to:
{:g=>"a", 2=>{:v=>"b", :x=>{:z=>"c"}}}
So many answers here, but the one method rails function is hash.symbolize_keys
This is my one liner for nested hashes
def symbolize_keys(hash)
hash.each_with_object({}) { |(k, v), h| h[k.to_sym] = v.is_a?(Hash) ? symbolize_keys(v) : v }
end
In case the reason you need to do this is because your data originally came from JSON, you could skip any of this parsing by just passing in the :symbolize_names option upon ingesting JSON.
No Rails required and works with Ruby >1.9
JSON.parse(my_json, :symbolize_names => true)
You could be lazy, and wrap it in a lambda:
my_hash = YAML.load_file('yml')
my_lamb = lambda { |key| my_hash[key.to_s] }
my_lamb[:a] == my_hash['a'] #=> true
But this would only work for reading from the hash - not writing.
To do that, you could use Hash#merge
my_hash = Hash.new { |h,k| h[k] = h[k.to_s] }.merge(YAML.load_file('yml'))
The init block will convert the keys one time on demand, though if you update the value for the string version of the key after accessing the symbol version, the symbol version won't be updated.
irb> x = { 'a' => 1, 'b' => 2 }
#=> {"a"=>1, "b"=>2}
irb> y = Hash.new { |h,k| h[k] = h[k.to_s] }.merge(x)
#=> {"a"=>1, "b"=>2}
irb> y[:a] # the key :a doesn't exist for y, so the init block is called
#=> 1
irb> y
#=> {"a"=>1, :a=>1, "b"=>2}
irb> y[:a] # the key :a now exists for y, so the init block is isn't called
#=> 1
irb> y['a'] = 3
#=> 3
irb> y
#=> {"a"=>3, :a=>1, "b"=>2}
You could also have the init block not update the hash, which would protect you from that kind of error, but you'd still be vulnerable to the opposite - updating the symbol version wouldn't update the string version:
irb> q = { 'c' => 4, 'd' => 5 }
#=> {"c"=>4, "d"=>5}
irb> r = Hash.new { |h,k| h[k.to_s] }.merge(q)
#=> {"c"=>4, "d"=>5}
irb> r[:c] # init block is called
#=> 4
irb> r
#=> {"c"=>4, "d"=>5}
irb> r[:c] # init block is called again, since this key still isn't in r
#=> 4
irb> r[:c] = 7
#=> 7
irb> r
#=> {:c=>7, "c"=>4, "d"=>5}
So the thing to be careful of with these is switching between the two key forms. Stick with one.
Would something like the following work?
new_hash = Hash.new
my_hash.each { |k, v| new_hash[k.to_sym] = v }
It'll copy the hash, but you won't care about that most of the time. There's probably a way to do it without copying all the data.
a shorter one-liner fwiw:
my_hash.inject({}){|h,(k,v)| h.merge({ k.to_sym => v}) }
How about this:
my_hash = HashWithIndifferentAccess.new(YAML.load_file('yml'))
# my_hash['key'] => "val"
# my_hash[:key] => "val"
This is for people who uses mruby and do not have any symbolize_keys method defined:
class Hash
def symbolize_keys!
self.keys.each do |k|
if self[k].is_a? Hash
self[k].symbolize_keys!
end
if k.is_a? String
raise RuntimeError, "Symbolizing key '#{k}' means overwrite some data (key :#{k} exists)" if self[k.to_sym]
self[k.to_sym] = self[k]
self.delete(k)
end
end
return self
end
end
The method:
symbolizes only keys that are String
if symbolize a string means to lose some informations (overwrite part of hash) raise a RuntimeError
symbolize also recursively contained hashes
return the symbolized hash
works in place!
The array we want to change.
strings = ["HTML", "CSS", "JavaScript", "Python", "Ruby"]
Make a new variable as an empty array so we can ".push" the symbols in.
symbols = [ ]
Here's where we define a method with a block.
strings.each {|x| symbols.push(x.intern)}
End of code.
So this is probably the most straightforward way to convert strings to symbols in your array(s) in Ruby. Make an array of strings then make a new variable and set the variable to an empty array. Then select each element in the first array you created with the ".each" method. Then use a block code to ".push" all of the elements in your new array and use ".intern or .to_sym" to convert all the elements to symbols.
Symbols are faster because they save more memory within your code and you can only use them once. Symbols are most commonly used for keys in hash which is great. I'm the not the best ruby programmer but this form of code helped me a lot.If anyone knows a better way please share and you can use this method for hash too!
If you would like vanilla ruby solution and as me do not have access to ActiveSupport here is deep symbolize solution (very similar to previous ones)
def deep_convert(element)
return element.collect { |e| deep_convert(e) } if element.is_a?(Array)
return element.inject({}) { |sh,(k,v)| sh[k.to_sym] = deep_convert(v); sh } if element.is_a?(Hash)
element
end
Starting on Psych 3.0 you can add the symbolize_names: option
Psych.load("---\n foo: bar")
# => {"foo"=>"bar"}
Psych.load("---\n foo: bar", symbolize_names: true)
# => {:foo=>"bar"}
Note: if you have a lower Psych version than 3.0 symbolize_names: will be silently ignored.
My Ubuntu 18.04 includes it out of the box with ruby 2.5.1p57
ruby-1.9.2-p180 :001 > h = {'aaa' => 1, 'bbb' => 2}
=> {"aaa"=>1, "bbb"=>2}
ruby-1.9.2-p180 :002 > Hash[h.map{|a| [a.first.to_sym, a.last]}]
=> {:aaa=>1, :bbb=>2}
This is not exactly a one-liner, but it turns all string keys into symbols, also the nested ones:
def recursive_symbolize_keys(my_hash)
case my_hash
when Hash
Hash[
my_hash.map do |key, value|
[ key.respond_to?(:to_sym) ? key.to_sym : key, recursive_symbolize_keys(value) ]
end
]
when Enumerable
my_hash.map { |value| recursive_symbolize_keys(value) }
else
my_hash
end
end
I like this one-liner, when I'm not using Rails, because then I don't have to make a second hash and hold two sets of data while I'm processing it:
my_hash = { "a" => 1, "b" => "string", "c" => true }
my_hash.keys.each { |key| my_hash[key.to_sym] = my_hash.delete(key) }
my_hash
=> {:a=>1, :b=>"string", :c=>true}
Hash#delete returns the value of the deleted key
Facets' Hash#deep_rekey is also a good option, especially:
if you find use for other sugar from facets in your project,
if you prefer code readability over cryptical one-liners.
Sample:
require 'facets/hash/deep_rekey'
my_hash = YAML.load_file('yml').deep_rekey
In ruby I find this to be the most simple and easy to understand way to turn string keys in hashes to symbols :
my_hash.keys.each { |key| my_hash[key.to_sym] = my_hash.delete(key)}
For each key in the hash we call delete on it which removes it from the hash (also delete returns the value associated with the key that was deleted) and we immediately set this equal to the symbolized key.
Similar to previous solutions but written a bit differently.
This allows for a hash that is nested and/or has arrays.
Get conversion of keys to a string as a bonus.
Code does not mutate the hash been passed in.
module HashUtils
def symbolize_keys(hash)
transformer_function = ->(key) { key.to_sym }
transform_keys(hash, transformer_function)
end
def stringify_keys(hash)
transformer_function = ->(key) { key.to_s }
transform_keys(hash, transformer_function)
end
def transform_keys(obj, transformer_function)
case obj
when Array
obj.map{|value| transform_keys(value, transformer_function)}
when Hash
obj.each_with_object({}) do |(key, value), hash|
hash[transformer_function.call(key)] = transform_keys(value, transformer_function)
end
else
obj
end
end
end