> M> k=0; ("A".."k").each{|x|k+=1}; k > M> I expected 11, I got 26. Why is that? > why 11 ? > You have 11 with ("A".."K") Oops, nearly a brain fart. That's not 11 I wanted to write, it's 37, that is, 11+26. Precisely, like 'A'..'Z' followed by 'a'..'k'. Now that I think of it, I understand why it gives "A".."Z", and why it makes sense to. I'm only *really* awake starting with the end of the afternoon :-) matju