What are Ruby enumerators and how do I use them?

What are Ruby enumerators and how do I use them?

Ruby enumerators are objects that allow you to traverse, search, and sort collections like arrays and hashes. They provide a way to iterate over elements without exposing the underlying structure.

Can you give me an example of how to create an enumerator?

Sure! You can create an enumerator using the Enumerator.new method. For example: my_enum = Enumerator.new { |y| (1..5).each { |i| y << i } }.

How do I use the enumerator to get values?

You can use methods like next to get the next value. For example, my_enum.next will return 1, and calling it again will return 2.

Are there any built-in methods for enumerators?

Yes, Ruby provides several built-in methods for enumerators, such as each, map, select, and inject, which allow you to perform various operations on the collection.