Michael W. Ryder wrote:
> I am trying to create a method that would allow one to skip x number of 
> a character then change the next y number of a character.  While trying 
> to create a simple routine I ran into two "weird" problems.  The code 
> follows:
> 
> a = "1 2 1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7"
> ns = 2, nc = 2
> 
> i = 0, il = a.length, xs = 0, xc = 0
> while xs < ns
>   if a[i, 1] == "1"
>     xs += 1
>   end
>   i += 1
> end
> 
> puts a[i, -1]
> 
> In this incarnation trying to run the code returns the following error: 
> testing.rb:5:in `<': comparison of Fixnum with Array failed 
> (ArgumentError).  If I change ns in the while statement to 2 I get the 
> following error: testing.rb:6:in `[]': can't convert Array into Integer 
> (TypeError).
> 
> I can't see why statement 5 (the while statement) thinks that ns is an 
> array when it is clearly defined as an integer.  
It's not, though - run just this line, and check the values of ns and nc:

ns = 2, nc = 2

I think you want:

ns, nc = [2,2]

-- 
Alex