Ruby Monstas

Intro

We already learned how to use methods:

"Popocatépetl".length                # => 12
"Eyjafjallajökull".include?("kull")  # => true
"Vesuvius".reverse                   # => "suivuseV"

Let's learn how to write our own, shall we?

Why methods?

Let's take a look at this example

my_word = "Sky"
puts "The word #{my_word} has #{my_word.length} letters"

my_word = "Ocean"
puts "The word #{my_word} has #{my_word.length} letters"

my_word = "Forest"
puts "The word #{my_word} has #{my_word.length} letters"

# The word sky has 3 letters
# The word ocean has 5 letters
# The word forest has 6 letters

Why?

If we want to adjust something in that sentence, we have to change it in three places.

We want to make code fragments reusable, so we don't have to repeat ourselves.

Writing a method

This is how we write a method.

def print_word_statistics(my_word)
  puts "The word #{my_word} has #{my_word.length} letters"
end

print_word_statistics("Sky")
print_word_statistics("Ocean")
print_word_statistics("Forest")

# The word Sky has 3 letters
# The word Ocean has 5 letters
# The word Forest has 6 letters

Anatomy of a method

Anatomy: Method name

• Same rules as for variable names
• May end with ? or ! (we'll learn about it later)

def download_file
  # code
end

def payment_successful?
  # code
end

def send_email!
  # code
end

Anatomy: Input arguments

• A method can have 0 or more arguments.
• Names follow same rules as variables.
• Arguments are available in the method.

def say_something # 0 arguments
  puts "Something"
end

def say_hi(name) # 1 argument
  puts "Hi #{name}!"
end

def greet_two(name_a, name_b) # 2 arguments
  puts "Hello #{name_a} and #{name_b}!"
end

Anatomy: Method body

• Only variables that are defined as input arguments are available.
• Variables outside the the method cannot be used (yet), we'll learn about it later.

person = "David"

def greet_person
  puts "Good day #{person}."
end

greet_person

# /tmp/script.rb:4:in `greet_person': undefined local variable
# or method `person' for main:Object (NameError)

Anatomy: Return values

• A method always has a return value.
• It's the result of the last instruction in the method.
• We can fetch and store it in a variable.

def miles_to_kilometers(miles)
  multiplier = 1.609
  kilometers = miles * multiplier
  kilometers # this is the return value
end

result = miles_to_kilometers(26)

puts "26 miles are #{result} kilometers"

# 26 miles are 41.834 kilometers

Defining / Calling

Defining a method doesn't do anything when Ruby sees that piece of code.

Ruby executes it once we call ☎️ it.

def say_hello(person)       # This is just the definition
  puts "Hello #{person}!"
end

say_hello("Betty")  # Calls the method with argument "Betty"
say_hello("Pierre") # Calls the method with argument "Pierre"

# Hello Betty!
# Hello Pierre!

Where's the dot?

At the beginning we claimed we learn about writing methods.

"Popocatépetl".length

do_something(argument)

These dot-methods are methods on Objects. Hang on, we'll learn about it later 🤷‍♀️.

Additional Resources

Ruby For Beginners: Writing methods

What questions do you have?