My thought on improving Ruby construct end syntax.

gistfile1.rb

# I have now programmed in a lot of languages, and one thing I can say for sure 
#   is that shell scripting does construct end styles very well.

#
# Example from http://redmine.ruby-lang.org/issues/5054
#
# This is indeed also one of my few personal issues with Ruby syntax, the end trail.
#
module MyModule
  class MyClass
    def my_method
      10.times do
        if rand < 0.5 
          p :small
        end 
      end 
    end 
  end 
end

# For longer codebases, this lets you more clearly know where you stand and
#   what is being ended.
module MyModule
  class MyClass
    def my_method
      10.times do
        if rand < 0.5
          p :small
        fi
      od
    fed
  ssalc
eludom

# And allow for shortened forms,
module MyModule
  class MyClass
    def my_method
      10.times do
        if rand < 0.5
          p :small
        fi
      od
    ed #'end def'
  ec # 'end class'
em # 'end module'

# es => 'end case'

#
# I *am* ok with this also :)
# 
module MyModule
  class MyClass
    def my_method
      10.times do
        if rand < 0.5
          p :small


# Suggested by @elliottcable:
module MyModule {
  class MyClass {
    def my_method {
      10.times { # This one already works ;)
        if rand < 0.5 {
          p :small
        } 
      } 
    } 
  } 
}

@rkh I'd claim that was true however the git history would prove me wrong ;)

Well shit, if this is going to go on like this:

module MyModule
  class MyClass
    def my_method
      10.times do
        if rand < 0.5
          p :small
        end:if
      end:do
    end:def
  end:class
end:module

Short-hand ?:

module MyModule
  class MyClass
    def my_method
      10.times do
        if rand < 0.5
          p :small
end:if:do:def:class:module

Very short-hand:

module MyModule
  class MyClass
    def my_method
      10.times do
        if rand < 0.5
          p :small
end:all

And double hell with it. Let Ruby support Python style indention if : is used.

module MyModule:
  class MyClass:
    def my_method:
      10.times do:
        if rand < 0.5:
          p :small

Postfixing the name of the start does not solve the problem.

1. You write twice as much in most cases, you're now writing XML plus an extra character.
2. This only looks swell if you're writing a module, with a single class, with a single method, with a single block, with a single if condition.
3. Still requires you to keep track of the other end, which is the bigger problem here.

And while the joke continues here's a lovely one:

module MyModule
|  class MyClass
|  |  def my_method
|  |  |  10.times do
|  |  |  |  if rand < 0.5
|  |  |  |  |  p :small

.i .ui!
how about,
module.MyModuleclass.MyClassdef.my_method10.times.doif(rand < 0.5)~p :small

Had to see that all hi-litey

module.MyModule~class.MyClass~def.my_method~10.times.do~if(rand < 0.5)~p :small

Eek! It sucks :-D

Perhaps we can strip out even more characters and go the minimalistic approach! ;)

Hah. Yes, we had a long discussion about using Unicode box-drawing characters to denote blocks early-on in the development of Paws; I think we’ll have at least one patois playing with things like that in the long run.

Er, what do you mean tabs? I haven’t used a hard-tab in a fuckin’ decade! In fact, despite the shitstorm it abused, my language downright doesn’t allow hardtabs instead. #ew

This gist provides quite a lot of food-for-thought as a developer of a nascent programming language.

Now, that said, PLEASE STOP STUFFING MY INBOX WITH NOTIFICATIONS ;_;

@ELLIOTTCABLE I dont believe there is currently a way to 'unsubscribe' from a gist notification feed?

No, there’s not. And that’s the point of my all-caps request. ;D

HELLO GUYS HOW ARE YOU?