Ron Jeffries <ronjeffries / REMOVEacm.org> writes:

> >Heh, Ron, how about giving us a failing test so we can work towards
> >solving the actual problem?
> 
> That's my problem. I can't formulate a test without getting bogged
> down in the string/array/string loop. If I had a test I'd be
> done. ;->

OK, so forget about the representation for a second. Write a test that
assumes you have some magic objects that do what you want (ie, go up a
level of abstraction). What would that test look like? For example,
would it be something like:

   people = MagicList.new("MIron TXdave NCandy NCken")

   query = MagicList.query("NC")

   assert_equals(["NCandy", "NCken"], people.intersection(query))

   query = MagicList.query("dave")

   assert_equals(["TXdave"], people.intersection(query))


(Obviously not... but perhaps in correcting these gross inaccuracies
we'll be able to iterate somewhere closer to Nirvana).



Dave