pathy.rb

class Hash

  #this is pseudocode
  def locate_and_find_all(nodes*, &block)
    enum = self
    while !nodes.empty?
      node = nodes.pop
      if enum.has_key? node
        enum = enum[node]
      else
        raise
      end
    end
    enum.find_all(&block)
  end
  
  def gather_values(field = :all, options)
    unless options[:in].nil?
      values = options[:in].inject(self) do |memo, field|
        memo[field]
      end.map do |hash|
        hash[field] if hash.key? field
      end

      values.select! { |value| options[:only].call value } if options[:only]
      values.reject! { |value| options[:not].call value } if options[:not]
      return values
    end
  end
end

$example_data = { profile:
  { name: "Kurtis Rainbolt-Greene",
    age: 24,
    friends: [
      { name: "Jason Wilhelm", age: 25 },
      { name: "John Numaker", age: 29 },
      { name: "Johnson Reed", age: 14 }
    ]
  }
}

conditions = ->(value) { value.include? "John" }
$example_data.gather_values :name, in: [:profile, :friends], only: conditions


#part of me likes gather_values_of, part of me doesn't
#i'd also just let it accept a block and put the conditions in there

Ho ho, I likie.