Comments on: Specifying Options in Rails http://www.flyingmachinestudios.com/2008/03/08/specifying-options-in-rails/ Sat, 22 Nov 2008 02:19:05 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Daniel Higginbotham http://www.flyingmachinestudios.com/2008/03/08/specifying-options-in-rails/#comment-4 Daniel Higginbotham Tue, 25 Mar 2008 20:59:55 +0000 http://www.flyingmachinestudios.com/?p=1#comment-4 On the other hand, it might be confusing to have a new <code>Options</code> class because perceptive people like yourself will look at it and think the same thing you did, and wonder what the point is. In either case, I've found that using something a non-primitive object like this is useful when you're building up options over multiple methods. Doing so helps keep things DRY, reduces failure distance, and communicates more explicitly. On the other hand, it might be confusing to have a new Options class because perceptive people like yourself will look at it and think the same thing you did, and wonder what the point is. In either case, I’ve found that using something a non-primitive object like this is useful when you’re building up options over multiple methods.

Doing so helps keep things DRY, reduces failure distance, and communicates more explicitly.

]]> By: Daniel Higginbotham http://www.flyingmachinestudios.com/2008/03/08/specifying-options-in-rails/#comment-3 Daniel Higginbotham Tue, 25 Mar 2008 20:36:35 +0000 http://www.flyingmachinestudios.com/?p=1#comment-3 That does look very much like a Struct :) I started out with something different, and in changing it I didn't realize the similarity. One of the useful parts of my code is the <code>conditions</code> method in ActiveRecordOptions , which then gets called by <code>to_hash</code>. Can Structs do this or something similar by default? That would be helpful. Using the Options class might still be a better choice because its purpose is more explicit. So perhaps it is a reinvention, but so far I find it a useful reinvention :) That does look very much like a Struct :) I started out with something different, and in changing it I didn’t realize the similarity.

One of the useful parts of my code is the conditions method in ActiveRecordOptions , which then gets called by to_hash. Can Structs do this or something similar by default? That would be helpful.

Using the Options class might still be a better choice because its purpose is more explicit. So perhaps it is a reinvention, but so far I find it a useful reinvention :)

]]> By: Greg Weber http://www.flyingmachinestudios.com/2008/03/08/specifying-options-in-rails/#comment-2 Greg Weber Tue, 25 Mar 2008 20:04:58 +0000 http://www.flyingmachinestudios.com/?p=1#comment-2 seems like you are reinventing the Struct, (but adding to_hash). seems like you are reinventing the Struct, (but adding to_hash).

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