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by dragonwriter 1028 days ago
Python has a default None return, Ruby returns the value of the last expression.

Neither (except maybe the None case in Python) is really implicit, Ruby is just an expression oriented language while Python is statement-oriented.

OTOH, in Ruby the keyword “return” is superfluous except for altering control flow for an early return, while in Python it is the mechanism for supplying a return value.
1 comments
KptMarchewa 1028 days ago
> Python has a default None return, Ruby returns the value of the last expression.

I would really hate this feature in a language without strong static typing.

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randomdata 1028 days ago
Doesn’t seem like that big of a deal. You’re going to have a really hard time getting your first test to pass if you make a mistake.

I don’t mean using testing as a poor man’s type system, I mean even the tests you would write in a statically typed language will quickly uncover any mistakes you could possibly make there.

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KptMarchewa 1028 days ago
In statically typed systems, this wouldn't even compile.

I'm pretty sure I'd see multiple cases where the function would return different types depending on a code path.

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randomdata 1027 days ago
> In statically typed systems, this wouldn't even compile.

Still, it's not like you're going to miss that a function doesn't return something expected. Even in statically typed languages you are going to have tests to validate that much.

> I'm pretty sure I'd see multiple cases where the function would return different types depending on a code path.

That's another problem entirely. Although even then it would be pretty hard for an errant type to not blow up your tests. Again, not tests specifically meant to check that your types or sane, just the same tests you would write in a statically typed language.

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dragonwriter 1028 days ago
> I'm pretty sure I'd see multiple cases where the function would return different types depending on a code path.

Quite commonly by design, or, “why union (and sum) types are a thing”.

Something returning type “Foo | nil” is very often going to return Foo on one branch and nil on another.

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