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For 2023 (and 2024 ...) - we are now fully retired from IT training.
We have made many, many friends over 25 years of teaching about Python, Tcl, Perl, PHP, Lua, Java, C and C++ - and MySQL, Linux and Solaris/SunOS too. Our training notes are now very much out of date, but due to upward compatability most of our examples remain operational and even relevant ad you are welcome to make us if them "as seen" and at your own risk.

Lisa and I (Graham) now live in what was our training centre in Melksham - happy to meet with former delegates here - but do check ahead before coming round. We are far from inactive - rather, enjoying the times that we are retired but still healthy enough in mind and body to be active!

I am also active in many other area and still look after a lot of web sites - you can find an index ((here))
For loop - checked once, or evety time? Ruby v Perl comparison and contrast

Although may aspects of Ruby are inherited (in a non-OO way!) from Perl, there are some distinct differences too; a classic for loop in Perl has its end condition checked every time around the loop, but a Ruby for loop sets up an iterator at the start, so that if something changes within the loop evaluation context, the loop does not dynamically adjust. Let me show you an example.

Here's a for loop in Ruby:

stuff = ["Tom","Dick","Harriet"]
 
for v in 0...stuff.length do
  print "#{v+1} ... #{stuff[v]}\n"
  stuff[stuff.length] = "Bob"
  end
  
p stuff


In which the loop runs 3 times because that's the number of times that's calculated before the loop starts.

Dorothy-2:ra10 grahamellis$ ruby evalo.rb
1 ... Tom
2 ... Dick
3 ... Harriet
["Tom", "Dick", "Harriet", "Bob", "Bob", "Bob"]
Dorothy-2:ra10 grahamellis$ ]


But in Perl, using the classic from, to, step, the end condition is checked every time. So if we write the equivalent code in Perl:

@stuff = ("Tom","Dick","Harriet");
  
for ($v=0; $v<@stuff; $v++) {
  print "$v >>> $stuff[$v]\n";
  $stuff[@stuff] = "Bob";
  }
  
print ("@stuff\n");


we get an infinite loop:

Dorothy-2:ra10 grahamellis$ perl evalo.pl
0 >>> Tom
1 >>> Dick
2 >>> Harriet
3 >>> Bob
4 >>> Bob
5 >>> Bob
6 >>> Bob
7 >>> Bob
8 >>> Bob
9 >>> Bob
etc ...


Which is right? Neither - or both - depending upon how you think of it. They're different - and if you're writing a loop which modifies its end condition in any language, you need to be sure how it will behave. Perhaps it would be better for me to suggest to you that loops that dynamically change there end point in this way are best acoided!

(written 2010-04-07, updated 2010-04-08)

 
Associated topics are indexed as below, or enter http://melksh.am/nnnn for individual articles
R104 - Ruby - Control Structures
  [960] 1st, 2nd, 3rd revisited in Ruby - (2006-12-02)
  [962] Breaking a loop - Ruby and other languages - (2006-12-03)
  [985] Equality in Ruby - == eql? and equal? - (2006-12-14)
  [995] Ruby's case - no break - (2006-12-17)
  [1163] A better alternative to cutting and pasting code - (2007-04-26)
  [1220] for loop - how it works (Perl, PHP, Java, C, etc) - (2007-06-06)
  [1582] Ruby, C, Java and more - getting out of loops - (2008-03-19)
  [1587] Some Ruby programming examples from our course - (2008-03-21)
  [1696] Saying NOT in Perl, PHP, Python, Lua ... - (2008-07-04)
  [1738] Clean code, jump free (Example in Lua) - (2008-08-06)
  [1870] What to do with a huge crop of apples - (2008-11-04)
  [1887] Ruby Programming Course - Saturday and Sunday - (2008-11-16)
  [1891] Ruby to access web services - (2008-11-16)
  [1904] Ruby, Perl, Linux, MySQL - some training notes - (2008-11-23)
  [2287] Learning to program in Ruby - examples of the programming basics - (2009-07-15)
  [2471] A short form of if ... then ... else - (2009-10-23)
  [2619] Passing code to procedures and yield in Ruby - (2010-02-02)
  [2892] Alternative loops and conditionals in Ruby and Perl - (2010-07-28)
  [2975] Why do I need brackets in Ruby ... or Perl, Python, C or Java - (2010-09-29)
  [3156] Splitting data reading code from data processing code - Ruby - (2011-02-04)
  [3158] Ruby training - some fresh examples for string handling applications - (2011-02-05)
  [3159] Returning multiple values from a function call in various languages - a comparison - (2011-02-06)
  [3200] How a for loop works Java, Perl and other languages - (2011-03-12)
  [3253] Is this number between? Does this list include? - Ruby - (2011-04-18)
  [3254] Multiple inputs, multiple out, ruby functions - (2011-04-19)
  [3397] Does a for loop evaluate its end condition once, or on every iteration? - (2011-08-18)
  [3422] Assigning values to variables within other statements - Ruby - (2011-09-07)
  [3619] Ruby v Perl - a comparison example - (2012-02-21)
  [3620] Finding the total, average, minimum and maximum in a program - (2012-02-22)
  [3769] Muttable v immutable and implications - Ruby - (2012-06-20)
  [4322] Learning to Program - the conditional statement (if) - (2014-11-21)
  [4323] Learning to program - Loop statements such as while - (2014-11-22)
  [4370] Conditionals, loops and methods in Ruby - a primer with simple examples - (2014-12-29)
  [4402] Finding sum, minimum, maximum and average in Python (and Ruby) - (2015-01-19)
  [4503] Separating your code for easier testing, understanding and re-use; example in Ruby - (2015-06-02)
  [4504] Where does Ruby load modules from, and how to load from current directory - (2015-06-03)
  [4674] Alternating valuses / flip-flop / toggle - example in Ruby - (2016-05-17)

P206 - Perl - More Loops and Conditionals
  [138] Perl - redo and last without a loop - (2004-12-02)
  [299] What - no switch or case statement? - (2005-05-03)
  [657] The ternary operator in Python - (2006-03-25)
  [1191] Smart English Output - via PHP and Perl ? : operator - (2007-05-18)
  [1825] Question Mark - Colon operator (Perl and PHP) - (2008-10-08)
  [2815] switch and case, or given and when in Perl - (2010-06-17)
  [2817] Setting a safety net or fallback value in Perl - (2010-06-19)
  [2824] A pint of Black Rat, and a lazy barman - (2010-06-25)
  [2832] Are you learning Perl? Some more examples for you! - (2010-06-27)
  [2967] Multiway branches in Perl - the given and when syntax - (2010-09-22)
  [2972] Some more advanced Perl examples from a recent course - (2010-09-27)
  [3398] Perl - making best use of the flexibility, but also using good coding standards - (2011-08-19)
  [3914] While, for, foreach or something else to loop. - (2012-11-06)

P204 - Perl - Conditionals and Loops
  [353] Wimbledon Neck - (2005-06-20)
  [930] -> , >= and => in Perl - (2006-11-18)
  [1468] Lexical v Arithemetic testing, Bash and Perl - (2007-12-11)
  [1477] Decisions - small ones, or big ones? - (2007-12-18)
  [1607] Learning to program in Perl - (2008-04-11)
  [1727] Equality and looks like tests - Perl - (2008-07-29)
  [2351] Ternary operators alternatives - Perl and Lua lazy operators - (2009-08-12)
  [2550] Do not copy and paste code - there are much better ways - (2009-12-26)
  [3004] Increment operators for counting - Perl, PHP, C and others - (2010-10-18)
  [3895] Flowchart to program - learning to program with Well House - (2012-10-14)
  [4031] Showing what programming errors look like - web site pitfall - (2013-03-06)


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Uploading an image, document or pdf via a browser (php)
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History is all around us
A more informed decision than ever before
For loop - checked once, or evety time? Ruby v Perl comparison and contrast
__index and __newindex in Lua - metatable methods
Old trackways and routes near Melksham
The bull on the footpath
A walk on the Kennet and Avon
Error trapping in Lua - no exceptions.
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This is a page archived from The Horse's Mouth at http://www.wellho.net/horse/ - the diary and writings of Graham Ellis. Every attempt was made to provide current information at the time the page was written, but things do move forward in our business - new software releases, price changes, new techniques. Please check back via our main site for current courses, prices, versions, etc - any mention of a price in "The Horse's Mouth" cannot be taken as an offer to supply at that price.

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