When do I know when to declare a variable and not to in Ruby?
I would like to know why the first code needs input to be declared as a string and outside of the block, while the second block doesn't.
input = ''
while input != 'bye'
puts input
input = gets.chomp
end
puts 'Come again soon!'
versus:
while true
input = gets.chomp
puts input
if input == 'bye'
break
end
end
puts 'Come again soon!'
No variable is ever declared in Ruby. Rather, the rule is that a variable must appear in an assignment before it is used.
Look at the first two lines in your first example:
input = ''
while input != 'bye'
The while condition uses the variable input. Therefore the assignment is necessary before it. In the second example:
while true
input = gets.chomp
puts input
Again, the variable input is assigned before it is used in the puts call. All is right with the world in both examples.
Related
I have a code below:
secret_number = 8
user_input = ""
def number_guesser(user_input)
while user_input != secret_number
puts "Guess a number between 1 and 10:"
user_input = gets.chomp
if user_input != secret_number
puts "Wrong! Try again."
else
puts "You guessed correctly!"
end
end
end
number_guesser(user_input)
when I tried to run the above program it showed as below:
****undefined local variable or method secret_number' for main:Object
(repl):211:innumber_guesser'
(repl):221:in `'****
Any ideas?
You can't use a local variable like that inside another scope such as a method, it's two different contexts. Instead you need to pass that in if you want to use it.
It's a simple change:
def number_guesser(user_input, secret_number)
# ...
end
Then just feed that argument in.
You'll note that user_input isn't really necessary as a parameter, you can always initialize and use that locally, so it's actually pointless as an argument.
The pattern to use in that case:
loop do
input = gets.chomp
# Prompting...
break if input == secret_number
# Guessed wrong...
end
So I've been messing around with Ruby for the first time after finishing the codecademy course up to "Object Oriented Programming, Part I" and I decided to start making a calculator. For some reason though, I get this error:
calc.rb:13:in `addition': undefined local variable or method `user_input' for main:Object (NameError)
from calc.rb:21:in `<main>'
I'm confused why it doesn't see my "user_input" array. Is it out of the scope of the method? Did I initialize it wrong?
Here's the code so you can see for yourself, it's obviously nothing sophisticated and it's not finished. I'm just trying to test for addition right now.
#!/usr/bin/env ruby
user_input = Array.new
puts "Would you like to [a]dd, [s]ubtract, [m]ultiply, or [d]ivide? "
type_of_math = gets.chomp
def addition
operator = :+
puts "Please enter the numbers you want to add (enter \"=\" to stop adding numbers): "
until gets.chomp == "="
user_input << gets.chomp.to_i
end
sum = user_input.inject(operator)
return sum
end
case type_of_math
when "a"
addition
when "s"
puts "Test for subtraction"
when "m"
puts "Test for multiplication"
when "d"
puts "Test for division"
else
puts "Wrong"
end
Consider this untested variation on your code. It's more idiomatic:
def addition
user_input = []
puts 'Please enter the numbers you want to add (enter "=" to stop adding numbers): '
loop do
input = gets.chomp
break if input == '='
user_input << input
end
user_input.map(&:to_i).inject(:+)
end
Notice that it puts user_input into the method. It also uses the normal [] direct assignment of an empty array to initialize it. Rather than chomp.to_i each value as it's entered it waits to do that until after the loop exits.
Instead of while loops, consider using loop do. They tend to be more easily seen when scanning code.
Also notice there's no return at the end of the method. Ruby automatically returns the last value seen.
I'm learning Ruby with 'Learn to Program' by Chris Pine. On chapter 10 I should write a program where the user types as many words as he like and when he's done, he can just press Enter on an empty line and exit.
I came up with this:
puts "Type whatever you want!"
index = 0
word = ''
array = []
while word != nil
word << gets.chomp
array[index] = word
index = index + 1
end
puts ''
puts array.sort
But that doesn't work. What did I miss? Is there another way I could define word without having to repeat it?
The word will not have nil value. It will be an empty string. So you need to check for that:
while word != ""
# or even better
while !word.empty?
Also, you are adding everything to your word. You probably want to assign to it instead:
word = gets.chomp
Per author's comment:
begin
# your code here
end while !word.empty?
# OR more readable
begin
# your code here
end until word.empty?
It seems like there's a simpler solution, if I'm reading the question correctly.
You could do something like this:
user_input = gets.chomp.split(" ").sort
ex)
input: bananas clementine zebra tree house plane mine
output: ["bananas", "clementine", "house", "mine", "plane", "tree", "zebra"]
Here's a simple loop that you could do just for kicks:
arr = []
arr << $_.strip until gets =~ /^\s*$/
puts arr.sort
$_ is a special variable that evaluates to the last input read from STDIN. So basically this reads "Call gets and check if the input is just spaces. If it is then break out of the loop, otherwise append the last input with whitespace removed value onto the array and continue looping."
Or even more fun, a one liner:
puts [].tap {|arr| arr << $_.strip until gets =~ /^\s*$/}.sort
Basically same thing as above except using tap to initialize the variable.
To answer your questions:
Is there another way I could define word without having to repeat it?
Use side effects of assignment. In ruby when you assign a variable the return value of that assignment is the assigned variable, as in:
irb(main):001:0> (variable = 2) == 2
=> true
The idea would be to put the assignment in the your conditional. If I were to write something like this in a comprehensible loop, as opposed to those above, I'd write something like this:
arr = []
while !(word = gets.strip).empty?
arr << word
end
puts arr.sort
Using loop might simplify the code:
a = []
loop do
input = gets.chomp
if input.empty?
break
else
a << input
end
end
a.sort!
puts a
I'm trying to make a text editor in Ruby, but I don't know how to memorize an input with gets.chomp.
Here is my code so far:
outp =
def tor
text = gets.chomp
outp = "#{outp}" += "#{text}"
puts outp
end
while true
tor
end
Ordinary variables , like outp, in a method are only visible (AKA have scope) inside that method.
a = "aaa"
def x
puts a
end
x # =>error: undefined local variable or method `a' for main:Object
Why is that? For one thing, if you are writing a method and you need a counter, you can use a variable named i (or whatever) without worrying about other variables named i outside your method.
But... you want to interact with an outside variable in your method! This is one way:
#outp = "" # note the "", initializing #output to an empty string.
def tor
text = gets.chomp
#outp = #outp + text #not "#{#output}"+"#{text}", come on.
puts #outp
end
while true
tor
end
The # gives this variable a greater visisbility (scope).
This is another way: pass the variable as an argument. It is as saying to your method: "Here, work with this.".
output = ""
def tor(old_text)
old_text + gets.chomp
end
loop do #just another way of saying 'while true'
output = tor(output)
puts output
end
I am attempting to learn Ruby by converting a Java program to Ruby, but I've been coming up with an error surrounding this block of code:
def create
#user_input = String.new()
# #word_arr = Array.new
print "Enter the text to be converted to pig latin, EOF to quit: "
while gets do
STDOUT.flush
#user_input = gets.chomp
#word_arr = #user_input.string.split(' ')
#word_arr.each { |x| puts x.engToLatin() + ' '}
print "EOF to Quit"
#user_input = ""
end
end
I've been getting this error:
EnglishToPigLatin.rb:14:in `create': private method `chomp' called for nil:NilClass (NoMethodError)
from EnglishToPigLatin.rb:60
This is the area around line 60:
#if __FILE__ == $0
mg = EnglishToPigLatin.new
mg.create
#end
Essentially what I am trying to do is while there is still input, get that input, split it up into individual words, and run each word through a Pig Latin conversion method.
It looks like you're trying to get input inside of your loop.
Try
loop do
user_input = gets.chomp!
word_arr = user_input.to_s.split(' ')
word_arr.each { |x| puts x.engToLatin() + ' '}
puts "EOF to Quit"
end
Otherwise you're trying to get the next line of input when there isn't one. Additionally, do isn't necessary for a while statement.
You also don't need to reset #user_input to ''.
And since this is all in a block, you don't need to use instance variables, unless the methods you call need them.
Also your conditional is always true. gets will block until it gets a line of input. You can use loop for an infinite loop that ends on an interrupt.
Also, you needn't flush STDOUT if you use a puts for the last line there instead of a print.
The whole thing could be a script or a method in a module. An instance doesn't even need to be made. And if you do, instead of using two lines with your mg.create, you should define an initialize method. This is used as a constructor then, and whatever you set when you create an instance should be put there.
It can all be done like this:
loop do
puts gets.chomp.split(' ').map{ |x| x.engToLatin() }.join(' ')
puts "EOF to Quit"
end
Mario's answer is right. But I have the following notes.
You can still use the while construction as below.
+' ' implies that you don't want line breaks after each word. I changed that part. map and join is common in similar cases. print does not add a line break while puts does.
I am not sure what you are trying to do with STDOUT.flush. If you wanted to scroll to the top of the screen before each output, use system('clear').
You have a method entToLatin, and it should work, but it is a ruby convention to use underscore, like eng_to_latin for methods (although there are a few exceptions).
So a more rubyish way would be:
def create
print "Enter the text to be converted to pig latin, EOF to quit: "
while input = gets.strip and input != 'EOF'
system('clear')
puts input.split(/\s+/).map{|x| x.engToLatin}.join(' ')
puts "EOP to Quit"
end
end
And if you are using ruby 1.9.2, you can shorten map so that:
def create
print "Enter the text to be converted to pig latin, EOF to quit: "
while input = gets.strip and input != 'EOF'
system('clear')
puts input.split(/\s+/).map(:engToLatin).join(' ')
puts "EOP to Quit"
end
end