Robert Conn wrote:
> As a sidenote, I assume Ruby doesn't support overloaded methods?  I
> initially tried to implement initialize with 2 methods, one with no
> parameters, one with the time parameter but it didn't work.

  No: any time you find
def something
end

it redefines the previous meaning. But you can use optional arguments

def func(a,b = :special)
  if b == :special
    # code for one arg
  else
    # code for two
  end
end

  I agree it is quite cumbersome, but I think when you get more used to
Ruby, you won't need overloaded methods anymore.

	Vince

-- 
Vincent Fourmond, PhD student
http://vincent.fourmond.neuf.fr/