{Object,NilClass}#try

object.c.patch

diff --git a/object.c b/object.c
index 63af8a2..77ba3e2 100644
--- a/object.c
+++ b/object.c
@@ -615,6 +615,12 @@ rb_obj_tap(VALUE obj)
     return obj;
 }
 
+VALUE
+rb_obj_try(int argc, VALUE *argv, VALUE obj)
+{
+    if (argc == 0) return obj;
+    return rb_funcall2(obj, rb_intern("__send__"), argc, argv);
+}
 
 /*
  * Document-method: inherited
@@ -1246,6 +1252,16 @@ rb_false(VALUE obj)
     return Qfalse;
 }
 
+VALUE
+nil_try(int argc, char *argv)
+{
+    VALUE obj;
+
+    if (argc > 0) return Qnil;
+    obj = rb_obj_alloc(rb_cBasicObject);
+    rb_define_singleton_method(obj, "method_missing", nil_try, -1);
+    return obj;
+}
 
 /*
  *  call-seq:
@@ -2875,6 +2891,7 @@ Init_Object(void)
     rb_define_method(rb_mKernel, "kind_of?", rb_obj_is_kind_of, 1);
     rb_define_method(rb_mKernel, "is_a?", rb_obj_is_kind_of, 1);
     rb_define_method(rb_mKernel, "tap", rb_obj_tap, 0);
+    rb_define_method(rb_mKernel, "try", rb_obj_try, -1);
 
     rb_define_global_function("sprintf", rb_f_sprintf, -1); /* in sprintf.c */
     rb_define_global_function("format", rb_f_sprintf, -1);  /* in sprintf.c */
@@ -2897,6 +2914,7 @@ Init_Object(void)
     rb_define_method(rb_cNilClass, "^", false_xor, 1);
 
     rb_define_method(rb_cNilClass, "nil?", rb_true, 0);
+    rb_define_method(rb_cNilClass, "try", nil_try, -1);
     rb_undef_alloc_func(rb_cNilClass);
     rb_undef_method(CLASS_OF(rb_cNilClass), "new");
     /*

try.rb

unless Object.method_defined?(:try)
  class Object
    def try(*args)
      if args.empty?
        self
      else
        __send__(args.shift, *args)
      end
    end
  end
end

unless NilClass.method_defined?(:try)
  class NilClass
    def try(*args)
      if args.empty?
        obj = BasicObject.new
        def obj.method_missing(*)
          nil
        end
        obj
      else
        nil
      end
    end
  end
end

{a:1}.try(:[], :a) # => 1
nil.try(:[], :a)   # => nil
{a:1}.try[:a]      # => 1
nil.try[:a]        # => nil

h = {a:1}
h.try(:[]=, :b, 2) # => 2
h                  # => {:a=>1, :b=>2}

h = nil
h.try(:[]=, :b, 2) # => nil
h                  # => nil

h = {a:1}
h.try[:b] = 2      # => 2
h                  # => {:a=>1, :b=>2}

h = nil
h.try[:b] = 2      # => 2
h                  # => nil