Feature #17155
Updated by janfri (Jan Friedrich) over 4 years ago
Ruby 2.3 introduced the ```#dig``` method as a general way to access elements in deep structures. Initially it was implemented only for ```Array``` and ```Hash```. In the meanwhile also the classes ```Struct```, ```OpenStruct``` and ```Set``` have a ```#dig``` method. There is also a [proposal](https://bugs.ruby-lang.org/issues/16425) to implement ```#dig``` for ```Thread```.
In my development I have own classes which have a ```#[]``` method implemented and are also candidates for a ```#dig``` method. But implementing ```#dig``` isn't so trivial as it seems: you have to handle some corner cases. This is the intention for my proposal: Add a ```Diggable``` mixin to Ruby (core or stdlib). A simple implementation of it could be something like this:
```Ruby
module Diggable
def dig *args
a = args.shift
o = self[a]
return o if args.empty? || o.nil?
o.send :dig, *args
end
end
```
So you could simply include ```Diggable``` to any class which implements ```#[],``` and you would get a ```#dig``` method for free. Like ```Comparable``` or ```Enumerable``` for which you have to implement ```#each``` respectively ```#<=>``` respectively ```#each``` and get other methods implemented in this mixins.