Boolean typecasting.

fixnum_to_bool.rb

# from http://drawingablank.me/blog/ruby-boolean-typecasting.html
class Fixnum
  def to_bool
    return true if self == 1
    return false if self == 0
    raise ArgumentError.new("invalid value for Boolean: \"#{self}\"")
  end
end

str_to_bool.rb

# from http://drawingablank.me/blog/ruby-boolean-typecasting.html
class String
  def to_bool
    return true if self == true || self =~ (/^(true|t|yes|y|1)$/i)
    return false if self == false || self.blank? || self =~ (/^(false|f|no|n|0)$/i)
    raise ArgumentError.new("invalid value for Boolean: \"#{self}\"")
  end
end