How to Use the Ruby map Method

In this article, you will learn how to use the Ruby map method.

Using the map method

The Ruby map method is a built-in method that allows you to apply a transformation to every element of an enumerable object, such as an array or a hash. The map method takes a block as an argument and returns a new array with the transformed values.

Here’s how to use the map method:

Start by defining an enumerable object, such as an array:

array = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Call the map method on the enumerable object and pass in a block that defines the transformation you want to apply to each element:

new_array = array.map { |element| element * 2 }

In this example, we’re multiplying each element of the array by 2.

The map method returns a new array with the transformed values:

puts new_array # Output: [2, 4, 6, 8, 10]

You can also use the shorthand syntax for blocks that consist of a single expression:

new_array = array.map { |element| element * 2 }

This is equivalent to:

new_array = array.map do |element|
  element * 2
end

You can use the map method with any enumerable object, including hashes:

hash = { a: 1, b: 2, c: 3 }
new_hash = hash.map { |key, value| [key.to_s, value * 2] }.to_h
puts new_hash # Output: {"a" => 2, "b" => 4, "c" => 6}

In this example, we’re transforming each value of the hash by multiplying it by 2 and converting the keys to strings.