----- Original Message -----
From: <dblack / candle.superlink.net>


> Hi --
>
> On Tue, 24 Sep 2002, Gavin Sinclair wrote:
>
> > Hashes and arrays map keys to values.  The method we are looking for
> > returns several values based on several keys.
>
> I think I mentioned the following idea before, but I don't remember
> any response to it (and I'm kind of warming to it :-).
>
> Namely:  Enumerable#find_at
>
> It has the following going for it, in my opinion:
>
> 1. it has "at" in it (see my last post for why I like "at" more than
>    verbs)
>
> 2. it makes a nice set with #find and #find_all:
>
>    a = %w{one two three four}
>    a.find {|e| e[0] == ?t}       # "two"
>    a.find_all {|e| e.size > 3}   # ["three", "four"]
>    a.find_at(0,2)                # ["one", "three"]
>
> 3. it doesn't already exist :-)
>
>
> David
>

Your reasons are good, but I don't like it :->

Reason: given an index into a data structure, you don't "find" something, you
get it directly.  That's what indices are all about.  That's why I like "grab":
it connotes directness.

I would prefer #values_of to #find_at, because #values is a great choice which
can't be used for technical reasons.

Gavin