How do I search within an array of hashes by hash values in ruby?

user_104361 0
Viewed 213510

I have an array of hashes, @fathers.

a_father = { "father" => "Bob", "age" =>  40 }
@fathers << a_father
a_father = { "father" => "David", "age" =>  32 }
@fathers << a_father
a_father = { "father" => "Batman", "age" =>  50 }
@fathers << a_father

How can I search this array and return an array of hashes for which a block returns true?

For example:

@fathers.some_method("age" > 35) #=> array containing the hashes of bob and batman

Thanks.

hash search ruby arrays
4 Answers

You're looking for Enumerable#select (also called find_all):

@fathers.select {|father| father["age"] > 35 }
# => [ { "age" => 40, "father" => "Bob" },
#      { "age" => 50, "father" => "Batman" } ]

Per the documentation, it "returns an array containing all elements of [the enumerable, in this case @fathers] for which block is not false."

user_1791250

(Adding to previous answers (hope that helps someone):)

Age is simpler but in case of string and with ignoring case:

  • Just to verify the presence:

@fathers.any? { |father| father[:name].casecmp("john") == 0 } should work for any case in start or anywhere in the string i.e. for "John", "john" or "JoHn" and so on.

  • To find first instance/index:

@fathers.find { |father| father[:name].casecmp("john") == 0 }

  • To select all such indices:

@fathers.select { |father| father[:name].casecmp("john") == 0 }

user_103138940
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