Question

I was learning ruby through ruby koans when I faced these two functions:

def test_flexible_quotes_can_handle_multiple_lines
   *long_string = %{
   It was the best of times,
   It was the worst of times.
   }*
   assert_equal *54*, long_string.size
end

def test_here_documents_can_also_handle_multiple_lines
   *long_string = <<EOS
   It was the best of times,
   It was the worst of times.
   EOS*
   assert_equal *53*, long_string.size
end

The problem is I cannot understand where this extra character is coming from when using flexible quotes. Ruby koans says that both answers are correct.

Answer 1

I’d say it’s a newline character after %{.

>> test = %{
">> foo
">> }
=> "\nfoo\n"
>> test.size
=> 5
>> test = %{foo
">> }
=> "foo\n"
>> test.size
=> 4
>> test = <<EOS
">> foo
">> EOS
=> "foo\n"
>> test.size
=> 4