Understanding repeating code In Ruby?

[tomot]

This topic has been troubling me since I left BASIC. Even as a novice I could understand Gosub and Goto. It simply meant I didn't have to repeat code, and I could jump to other subroutine.

The attached pic shows 4 subroutines each can be selected from a drop down menu within a single Ruby script, I'm currently developing. Each of the 4 subroutine is contained within its own "If" statement.

The option: populate area ABCD, subroutine contains only the possible ABCD, related XY points
The option: populate area AD, subroutine contains only the possible AD, related XY points
The option: populate area BC, subroutine contains only the possible BC, related XY points
The option: populate area A, subroutine contains only the possible A, related XY points

The script runs perfectly! Were it not for the fact that I know something about repeating code, I would never have asked the following question.

Since all the code required for all possible XY points is already defined once in the ABCD "if" subroutine. How do I avoid repeating all of these xy points all over again in the "if" subroutines for other 3 options, (AD, BC, and A)?

[TIG]

Write a def inside the main code
So

 def process_x(args=nil)
  ### args can say do it a certain way or data for the points etc
  ### do_your_stuff
 end#def

then later in the main code do

self.process_x(args)

and it'll run the process_x with the 'args' for you...
If you need to run it several times do something like

[args1, args2, arggs3].each{|args|
  self.process_x(args)
}

or

3.times{|i|self.process_x(args)}

[Dan Rathbun]

You write a method that has arguments (parameters) and inside the method you have conditional statements that do things according to that values of the arguments.

module Tomot
  module Tile_wizard
    POINTS=[..array of points..]
    def populate( how='ABCD' )
      case how.to_s
      when 'ABCD'
        # use your module POINTS array constant
      when 'AD'
        # use your module POINTS array constant
      when 'BC'
        # use your module POINTS array constant
      else # just do 'A'
        # use your module POINTS array constant
      end
      #
      # you can put common code here
      #
    end # method
    #
    # you can def other methods here that
    # might be called by the populate method
    #
    begin # run once when module loads
      # setup your toolbar & menu
      # to call Tomot;;Tile_Wizard.populate(arg)
      # where arg can be the String or Symbol,
      # ie ;ABCD or 'ABCD'
    end
  end # module
end # module

[tomot]

thank you for your input!

[Jim]

With this, you can use any combination of ABCD.

blocks = UI.inputbox(["Blocks [ABCD]?"])[0]
populateA() if blocks[/A/]
populateB() if blocks[/B/]
populateC() if blocks[/C/]
populateD() if blocks[/D/]

Or even..

blocks = UI.inputbox(["Blocks [ABCD]?"])[0]
letters = blocks.split(//)
letters.each do |letter|
  populate(letter, etc)
end