I'm using Rails and I have a hash object. I want to search the hash for a specific value. I don't know the keys associated with that value.
How do I check if a specific value is present in a hash? Also, how do I find the key associated with that specific value?
Hash includes Enumerable, so you can use the many methods on that module to traverse the hash. It also has this handy method:
hash.has_value?(value_you_seek)
To find the key associated with that value:
hash.key(value_you_seek)
This API documentation for Ruby (1.9.2) should be helpful.
The simplest way to check multiple values are present in a hash is:
h = { a: :b, c: :d }
h.values_at(:a, :c).all? #=> true
h.values_at(:a, :x).all? #=> false
In case you need to check also on blank values in Rails with ActiveSupport:
h.values_at(:a, :c).all?(&:present?)
or
h.values_at(:a, :c).none?(&:blank?)
The same in Ruby without ActiveSupport could be done by passing a block:
h.values_at(:a, :c).all? { |i| i && !i.empty? }
Hash.has_value? and Hash.key.
Imagine you have the following Array of hashes
available_sports = [{name:'baseball', label:'MLB Baseball'},{name:'tackle_football', label:'NFL Football'}]
Doing something like this will do the trick
available_sports.any? {|h| h['name'] == 'basketball'}
=> false
available_sports.any? {|h| h['name'] == 'tackle_football'}
=> true
While Hash#has_key? works but, as Matz wrote here, it has been deprecated in favour of Hash#key?.
Hash's key? method tells you whether a given key is present or not.
hash.key?(:some_key)
The class Hash has the select method which will return a new hash of entries for which the block is true;
h = { "a" => 100, "b" => 200, "c" => 300 }
h.select {|k,v| v == 200} #=> {"b" => 200}
This way you'll search by value, and get your key!
If you do hash.values, you now have an array.
On arrays you can utilize the Enumerable search method include?
hash.values.include?(value_you_seek)
An even shorter version that you could use would be hash.values
Related
Here's my Rails class
class SkinnyEmployee
include ActiveModel::Validations
attr_accessor :uid, :name
validates :uid, :presence => true
def initialize(id, name)
#uid = id
#name = name
end
def ==(other)
puts "Calling =="
raise ArgumentError.new("other is nil or bad in "+self.to_s) if other.nil? or !other.instance_of?(SkinnyEmployee)
return (self.class == other.class && self.uid == other.uid)
end
alias :eql? :==
end
I have a hash of SkinnyEmployee objects. E.g.,
skinny_hash = {SkinnyEmployee.new("123", "xyz") => 1, SkinnyEmployee.new("456", "abc") => 2}
I have another SkinnyEmployee object that I want to look up. E.g.,
entry = SkinnyEmployee.new("456", "abc")
When I do
skinny_hash.keys.index(entry)
I get 1, as expected. But when I do
skinny_hash.has_key?(entry)
I get false.
Why is that? Doesn't has_key? also use == or eql? to find whether a key exists in a hash?
Thanks much for the help!
First, this drove me nuts. What you're doing looked absolutely correct to me, and, as you already know, doesn't work.
I can take you part of the way to a solution:
http://ruby-doc.org/core-2.0.0/Object.html#method-i-hash
quoting:
Generates a Fixnum hash value for this object. This function must have the property that a.eql?(b) implies a.hash == b.hash.
The hash value is used along with eql? by the Hash class to determine if two objects reference the same hash key. Any hash value that exceeds the capacity of a Fixnum will be truncated before being used.
I added:
def hash
1
end
to your SkinnyEmployee Class, and has_key? started returning true. Obviously that's not a solution, but I'm thinking it at least puts you on the path to one.
You have overwritten the eql? method used by Array#index but not the hash method used by Hash#has_key?.
From Ruby docs for Object#hash
Generates a Fixnum hash value for this object. This function must have the property that a.eql?(b) implies a.hash == b.hash.
The Object#hash and Object#eql? methods return equal if and only if the objects occupy the same space in memory. Some classes like Array overwrite both methods to return true if the compared array's have same elements.
For your case you can define the hash method like:
def hash
"#{self.class}_#{self.uid}".hash
end
This would satisfy the docs criteria for hash method given above.
That is happening because the object you are using as a key and they one you are using to search the key are different.
Every time you call SkinnyEmployee.new it will create a new, different, object. For example
employee_1 = SkinnyEmployee.new("123", "xyz")
employee_2 = SkinnyEmployee.new("123", "xyz")
employee_1 == employee_1 #=> true
employee_2 == employee_2 #=> true
employee_2 == employee_1 #=> false
If you call object_id on both employee_1 and employee_2 you will notice that it gives you different id's.
Using has_key? will check for the exact same object, and that won't be the case if you use SkinnyEmployee.new("456", "abc").
You would need a way to retrieve the exact same object, store it in a variable or in the DB, you are using as a key and use it as an attribute for has_key? for it to work.
Hope this can help you.
I am now trying for some hours to remove a nested hash key of a hash list.
I saw many solution non-nested hashs wich looks like this:
sample_hash = {"key1" => "value1", "key2" => "value2"}
sample_hash.except("key1")
This results in:
{"key2"=>"value2"}
But if I try to use the except method on a hash with nested key then it doesn't work.
Here my code:
nested_hash = {"key1"=>"value1", "key2"=>{
"nested_key1"=>"nestedvalue1",
"nested_key2"=>"nestedvalue2"
}
}
nested_hash.except("nested_key2")
The except() method returns the nested_hash without any changes. I have looked for a solution how I can pass nested hash-keys to the except method, but couldn't find anything. Is it even possible to pass nested keys to this method or should I use some other method which deletes a nested hash key from my hash list?
what about
Hash[nested_hash.map {|k,v| [k,(v.respond_to?(:except)?v.except("nested_key2"):v)] }]
=> {"key1"=>"value1", "key2"=>{"nested_key1"=>"nestedvalue1"}}
ugh.
The accepted solution is valid for the scenario given but if you're looking for something that will do this for arbitrarily nested hash tables then you're going to need a recursive solution. I couldn't find a suitable solution anywhere, so I wrote one here.
Reproduced here with annotations:
class Hash
def except_nested(key)
r = Marshal.load(Marshal.dump(self)) # deep copy the hashtable
r.except_nested!(key)
end
def except_nested!(key)
self.except!(key)
self.each do |_, v| # essentially dfs traversal calling except!
v.except_nested!(key) if v.is_a?(Hash)
end
end
end
adding it to the Hash class so that you can call it the same way you call except/except! anywhere else.
t = { a: '1', b: { c: '3', d: '4' } }
r = t.except_nested(:c)
# r => {:a=>"1", :b=>{:d=>"4"}}
# t => {:a=>"1", :b=>{:c=>"3", :d=>"4"}}
t.except_nested!(:c)
# t => {:a=>"1", :b=>{:d=>"4"}}
try
my_hash = Hash[nested_hash.map {|k,v| {k=>v.is_a? Array ? v.except("nested_key2") : v}}.map {|key, value| [key, value]}]
But this seems wrong, I wish I never started down this path, I'm willing to bet there is an easier way!
If you know that the nested key will always be there then you can just do
nested_hash['key2'].except!('nested_key2')
the whole nested_hash will now be lacking 'nested_key2'
I am currently using the following to get an array of a certain field in a table:
Classrooms.all.map(&:teacher_name)
This returns the following:
["James", "Josh", "Peter"]
What I want is a hash instead so something like the following where I can include the teacher_id:
{"James" => "1", "Josh" => "2", "Peter" => "3"}
I tried using Classrooms.all.map(&:teacher_name, &:teacher_id) but it gives me a syntax error.
Thanks!
Do it the old-fashioned way:
pairs = Classrooms.all.map {|t|
[t.teacher_name, t.teacher_id] # [key, value]
}
hash = Hash[pairs] # in /old/ ruby: Hash[*pairs.flatten]
.. or whatnot.
See In Ruby, how do I make a hash from an array?
Ruby 2.6.0 enables a shorter syntax:
Classrooms.all.to_h { |t| [t.teacher_name, t.teacher_id] }
Another alternative is not to use each at all. Use each_with_object instead. It is designed for what you are trying to do.
Classrooms.all.each_with_object({}) { |c, hash| hash[c.teacher_name] = c.teacher_id }
[[{"Postponed"=>10}], [{"Low"=>3}], [{"Medium"=>4}], [{"High"=>5}]]
is the array
how can I get the value corresponding to particular value.
say High returns 5 in this.
or how to convert this array of hashes to an array so that searching becomes easy.
I tried:
find_all { |v| v['name'] == "Low" }
but it says:
cant convert String to Integer
please provide some guidance
How about making a single hash out of it for efficient querying?
arr.flatten.reduce(:merge)
#=> {"Postponed"=>10, "Low"=>3, "Medium"=>4, "High"=>5}
If you have some code like:
array = [[{"Postponed"=>10}], [{"Low"=>3}], [{"Medium"=>4}], [{"High"=>5}]]
Then turn it into an ruby hash:
hash = array.inject({}) {|h, e| h.merge(e.first) }
# => {"Postponed"=>10, "Low"=>3, "Medium"=>4, "High"=>5}
So you can find 'Low' value easily :
hash['Low']
# => 3
EDIT: The answer of Mark Thomas is pretty great, and shorter than the inject since it does the same thing. He wrote it before I answered. Nice ;)
In the general case, the hashes won't be unique, so you need to filter rather than pick one via indexing. For example, let's say you have this:
arr = [[{:apple => 'abc'}], [{:banana => 'def'}], [{:coconut => 'ghi'}]]
# => [[{:apple=>"abc"}], [{:banana=>"def"}], [{:coconut=>"ghi"}]]
Now let's suppose you want to get the value corresponding to any hash with a :coconut key. Then just use:
arr.flatten.map { |h| h[:coconut] }.compact
# => ["ghi"]
That gives you the list of answers. In this case there's only one matching key, so there's only one entry in the array. If there were other hashes that had a :coconut key in there, then you'd have something like:
# => ["ghi", "jkl", "mno"]
On the whole, though, that's a very unusual data structure to have. If you control the structure, then you should consider using objects that can return you sensible answers in the manner that you'd like, not hashes.
You could simply call #flatten on the original array. That would give you an array of hashes. What I think you would really want is just one hash.
1.8.7 :006 > [[{"Postponed"=>10}], [{"Low"=>3}], [{"Medium"=>4}], [{"High"=>5}]].flatten
=> [{"Postponed"=>10}, {"Low"=>3}, {"Medium"=>4}, {"High"=>5}]
I would ask, what are you doing to get that original structure? Can that be changed?
How about this?
arr = [
[{"Postponed"=>10}],
[{"Low"=>3}],
[{"Medium"=>4}],
[{"High"=>5}]
]
arr1 = []
arr.each{|a|
arr1.push(a[0])
}
Although I wonder if you really just want to get one hash, which you'd do like so:
myHash = {}
arr.each{|a|
a[0].each{|b, c|
myHash[b] = c
}
}
You would then access it like myHash["Postponed"]
Is there a short hand or best practice for assigning things to a hash when they are nil in ruby? For example, my problem is that I am using another hash to build this and if something in it is nil, it assigns nil to that key, rather than just leaving it alone. I understand why this happens so my solution was:
hash1[:key] = hash2[:key] unless hash2[:key].nil?
Because I cannot have a value in the has where the key actually points to nil. (I would rather have an empty hash than one that has {:key => nil}, that can't happen)
My question would be is there a better way to do this? I don't want to do a delete_if at the end of the assignments.
a little bit shorter if you negate the "unless" statement
hash1[:key] = hash2[:key] if hash2[:key] # same as if ! hash2[:key].nil?
you could also do the comparison in a && statement as suggested in other answers by Michael or Marc-Andre
It's really up to you, what you feel is most readable for you. By design, there are always multiple ways in Ruby to solve a problem.
You could also modify the hash2 :
hash1 = hash2.reject{|k,v| v.nil?}
hash2.reject!{|k,v| v.nil?} # even shorter, if in-place editing of hash2
this would remove key/value pairs :key => nil from hash2 (in place, if you use reject! )
I like this the best, loop and conditional overriding all in one line!
h1 = {:foo => 'foo', :bar => 'bar'}
h2 = {:foo => 'oof', :bar => nil}
h1.merge!(h2) { |key, old_val, new_val| new_val.nil? ? old_val : new_val }
#=> {:foo => 'oof', :bar => 'bar'}
This will replace every value in h1 with the value of h2 where the keys are the same and the h2 value is not nil.
I'm not sure if that's really any better, but
hash2[:key] && hash[:key] = hash2[:key]
could work. Note that this would behave the same way for false and nil, if that's not what you want
!hash2[:key].nil? && hash[:key] = hash2[:key]
would be better. All of this assuming that :key would be an arbitrary value that you may not have control over.
How about something like this?
hash2.each_pair do |key, value|
next if value.nil?
hash1[key] = value
end
If you are doing just a single assignment, this could shave a few characters:
hash2[:key] && hash1[:key] = hash2[:key]
My first example could also be shaved a bit further:
hash2.each_pair{ |k,v| v && hash1[k] = v }
I think the first is the easiest to read/understand. Also, examples 2 and 3 will skip anything that evaluates false (nil or false). This final example is one line and won't skip false values:
hash2.each_pair{ |k,v| v.nil? || hash1[k] = v }
I believe the best practice is to copy the nil value over to the hash. If one passes an option :foo => nil, it can mean something and should override a default :foo of 42, for example. This also makes it easier to have options which should default to true, although one should use fetch in those cases:
opt = hash.fetch(:do_cool_treatment, true) # => will be true if key is not present
There are many ways to copy over values, including nil or false.
For a single key, you can use has_key? instead of the lookup:
hash1[:key] = hash2[:key] if hash2.has_key? :key
For all (or many) keys, use merge!:
hash1.merge!(hash2)
If you only want to do this for a couple of keys of hash2, you can slice it:
hash1.merge!(hash2.slice(:key, ...))
OK, so if the merge doesn't work because you want more control:
hash1[:key] = hash2.fetch(:key, hash1[:key])
This will set hash1's :key to be hash2, unless it doesn't exist. In that case, it will use the default value (2nd argument to fetch), which is hash1's key
Add this to your initializers hash.rb
class Hash
def set_safe(key,val)
if val && key
self[key] = val
end
end
end
use
hash = {}
hash.set_safe 'key', value_or_nil