Method: Array.wrap

Defined in:

activesupport/lib/active_support/core_ext/array/wrap.rb

.wrap(object) ⇒ Object

Wraps its argument in an array unless it is already an array (or array-like).

Specifically:

• If the argument is nil an empty array is returned.

• Otherwise, if the argument responds to to_ary it is invoked, and its result returned.

• Otherwise, returns an array with the argument as its single element.

  Array.wrap(nil)       # => []
  Array.wrap([1, 2, 3]) # => [1, 2, 3]
  Array.wrap(0)         # => [0]
  

This method is similar in purpose to Kernel#Array, but there are some differences:

• If the argument responds to to_ary the method is invoked. Kernel#Array moves on to try to_a if the returned value is nil, but Array.wrap returns an array with the argument as its single element right away.

• If the returned value from to_ary is neither nil nor an Array object, Kernel#Array raises an exception, while Array.wrap does not, it just returns the value.

• It does not call to_a on the argument, if the argument does not respond to to_ary it returns an array with the argument as its single element.

The last point is easily explained with some enumerables:

Array(foo: :bar)      # => [[:foo, :bar]]
Array.wrap(foo: :bar) # => [{:foo=>:bar}]

There’s also a related idiom that uses the splat operator:

[*object]

which returns [] for nil, but calls to Array(object) otherwise.

The differences with Kernel#Array explained above apply to the rest of objects.

# File 'activesupport/lib/active_support/core_ext/array/wrap.rb', line 39

def self.wrap(object)
  if object.nil?
    []
  elsif object.respond_to?(:to_ary)
    object.to_ary || [object]
  else
    [object]
  end
end