Question

The following code returns an error and I dont know why:

require "rexml/document"
include REXML

file = File.new("test.xml")
doc = REXML::Document.new file

 class Registration
     attr_accessor :number, :jurisdiction, :physicallyPresentInRegistrationCountry
 end 

 def constructRegistration(item, typeOfMerchant)
    reg = Registration.new
    element = item.elements[typeOfMerchant + "PhysicallyPresentInRegistrationCountry"]
    if element != nil then
        reg,physicallyPresentInRegistrationCountry = element.text
    else
        reg.physicallyPresentInRegistrationCountry = nil
    end 
    return reg
  end

  XPath.each(doc, "//transactionAuditRecordList/item") { |item|
     reg = constructRegistration(item, "seller")
     puts reg.physicallyPresentInRegistrationCountry    
  }  

rexml.rb:26: undefined method `physicallyPresentInRegistrationCountry’ for “false”:String (NoMethodError)

    from /usr/lib/ruby/1.8/rexml/xpath.rb:53:in `each'

    from /usr/lib/ruby/1.8/rexml/xpath.rb:53:in `each'

    from rexml.rb:24

Answer 1

Looks like a stray comma instead of a dot:

if element != nil then
    reg,physicallyPresentInRegistrationCountry = element.text
#----^^^^

This has the effect of doing a multi-assignment to two vars reg and physicallyPresentInRegistrationCountry but only one expression on the right side of = means that

reg = element.text
physicallyPresentInRegistrationCountry = nil