The end result of a confusing sentence with no > > context is that I have no idea what you are trying to say. Could you try > > explaining again please? >
> > Steven No problem my reply from phone at work a little confusing. So trying to determine what this does. def ins_var @ins_var ||= nil end In particular I was guessing at this. @ins_var ||= nil Which I have now found on Rubyinside http://www.rubyinside.com/21-ruby-tricks-902.html >From there 7 - Cut down on local variable definitions Instead of defining a local variable with some initial content (often just an empty hash or array), you can instead define it "on the go" so you can perform operations on it at the same time: (z ||= []) << 'test' 2009 Update: This is pretty rancid, to be honest. I've changed my mind; you shouldn't be doing this :) So now that I know this I am still further lost to the point of the initially posted code so my kubuntu has ruby so I have run it, and honestly I need further definition on what that code was trying to acheive. sayth@sayth-TravelMate-5740G:~/scripts$ ruby --version ruby 1.9.3p484 (2013-11-22 revision 43786) [x86_64-linux] sayth@sayth-TravelMate-5740G:~/scripts$ irb irb(main):001:0> (z ||= []) << 'test' => ["test"] irb(main):002:0> @ins_var ||= nil => nil irb(main):003:0> def ins_var irb(main):004:1> @ins_var ||= nil irb(main):005:1> end => nil irb(main):006:0> def m irb(main):007:1> @ins_var = "val" irb(main):008:1> end => nil irb(main):009:0> def m2 irb(main):010:1> ins_var #=> "val" irb(main):011:1> end => nil irb(main):012:0> m => "val" irb(main):013:0> m2 => "val" Sayth -- https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list