Modeling historical events in YAML and Ruby

brownson-orestes.yml

# A model of a convert's life
---
name-last       : Brownson
name-first      : Orestes Augustus
born            : 1803-09-16
died            : 1876-04-17
birth-religion  : Congregationalism

conversions     :

-   origin-religion         : Congregationalism
    destination-religion    : Presbyterianism
    date                    : 1822
    ritual                  : church membership
    citation                : ANB
    notes                   : >
      Brownson's change to congregationalism was more denominational 
      switching than a change in conscience.

-   origin-religion         : Presbyterianism
    destination-religion    : Universalism
    date                    : 1826
    ritual                  : ordination
    location                : "Jaffrey, New Hampshire"
    citation                : ANB
    notes                   : >
      "He would later refer to his years in this fold as 'the most 
      anti-Christian period of my life'" (ANB).

      Brownson was editor of _The Gospel Advocate and Impartial 
      Investigator_, a Universalist publication.

-   origin-religion         : Universalism
    destination-religion    : Unitarianism
    ritual                  : further research
    location                : "Walpole, New Hampshire"
    citation                : ANB
    notes                   : >
      Brownson spent some time at Brook Farm, which prepared him for 
      Transcendentalism

-   origin-religion         : Unitarianism and Transcendentalism
    destination-religion    : Catholicism
    date                    : 1844-10-19
    ritual                  : baptism
    citation                : ANB
    notes                   : >
      Brownson studied after his conversion with a Sulpician priest.

source          :
-   @carey_orestes_2004
-   American National Biography

comments        : >
  This is a minimal example of what a model of a convert might look 
  like. The historical data is hastily gathered, so only the model is 
  of interest here.

  N.B. I would like to replace the citations with BibTeX keys.
...

converts.rb

#!/usr/bin/env ruby
# A proof-of-concept script that outputs some simple data from YAML 
# files modeling conversions
#
# Author:: Lincoln Mullen (lincoln@lincolnmullen.com)

require 'yaml' 

# This class loads data from YAML files, and outputs some values

class Converts

  attr_accessor :files, :data

  def initialize (files = nil, data = nil)
    @files = files
    @data = Hash.new

    if @files.nil?
      puts "You didn't pass me any files."
    elsif @files.respond_to?("each")
      # walk through the array of files, creating a hash with the 
      # file name as the key and the file data as the value
      @files.each do |file|
        @data[file] = YAML.load_file( file )
      end
    end
  end

  # output the hash we can see what we're working with
  def display_raw
    puts "\nThis is the raw data we have loaded:"
    p( @data )
  end

  # walk through the hash, outputting the names of each person
  def display_names
    puts "\nThese people converted:"
    @data.each_key do |key|
      puts " - #{@data[key]["name-first"]} #{@data[key]["name-last"]}"
    end
  end

  # walk through the hash, outputting the names and conversions of 
  # each person
  def display_conversions
    puts "\nWe know about these conversions:"
    @data.each_key do |key|
      puts " - #{@data[key]["name-first"]} #{@data[key]["name-last"]}:"
      # each person has an array of conversions (even if there is 
      # only one conversion)
      @data[key]["conversions"].each { |conversion|
        puts "     + From #{conversion["origin-religion"]} to #{conversion["destination-religion"]} by #{conversion["ritual"]} in #{conversion["date"]}."
      }
    end
  end

end

# get sample data by loading every YAML file in the directory
puts "Let's load all the YAML files in this directory:"
puts Dir.glob( '*.yml').join(', ')
c = Converts.new(Dir.glob('*.yml'))

# call the methods to display the names and conversions
c.display_names
c.display_conversions

output.txt

Let's load all the YAML files in this directory:
brownson-orestes.yml, wharton-charles.yml

These people converted:
 - Charles Wharton
 - Orestes Augustus Brownson

We know about these conversions:
 - Charles Wharton:
     + From Catholicism to Church of England by conformity in .
 - Orestes Augustus Brownson:
     + From Congregationalism to Presbyterianism by church membership in 1822.
     + From Presbyterianism to Universalism by ordination in 1826.
     + From Universalism to Unitarianism by further research in .
     + From Unitarianism and Transcendentalism to Catholicism by baptism in 1844-10-19.

wharton-charles.yml

# a YAML model of a convert's life
---
name-last       : Wharton
name-first      : Charles
born            : 
died            : 
birth-religion  : 

conversions     :

-   origin-religion         : Catholicism
    origin-clergy           : Jesuit
    destination-religion    : Church of England
    date                    : 
    ritual                  : conformity
    location                : England
    citation                : "@carroll_john_1976, 1:xlviii"
    notes                   : >
      Charles Wharton was "a former Jesuit who had conformed to the
      Church of England and in 1784 was serving as a clergyman of the
      recently formed Protestant Episcopal Church."

      
source          :
-   "@carroll_john_1976, 1:xlviii"

comments        : >
   
...