Range(B, E)

A Range represents an interval: a set of values with a beginning and an end.

Ranges may be constructed using the usual new method or with literals:

x..y  # an inclusive range, in mathematics: [x, y]
x...y # an exclusive range, in mathematics: [x, y)
(x..) # an endless range, in mathematics: >= x
..y   # a beginless inclusive range, in mathematics: <= y
...y  # a beginless exclusive range, in mathematics: < y

See Range literals in the language reference.

An easy way to remember which one is inclusive and which one is exclusive it to think of the extra dot as if it pushes y further away, thus leaving it outside of the range.

Ranges typically involve integers, but can be created using arbitrary objects as long as they define succ (or pred for reverse_each), to get the next element in the range, and < and ==, to know when the range reached the end:

# Represents a string of 'x's.
struct Xs
  include Comparable(Xs)

  getter size

  def initialize(@size : Int32)
  end

  def succ
    Xs.new(@size + 1)
  end

  def <=>(other)
    @size <=> other.size
  end

  def inspect(io)
    @size.times { io << 'x' }
  end

  def to_s(io)
    io << @size << ' '
    inspect(io)
  end
end

An example of using Xs to construct a range:

r = Xs.new(3)..Xs.new(6)
r.to_s                 # => "xxx..xxxxxx"
r.to_a                 # => [Xs.new(3), Xs.new(4), Xs.new(5), Xs.new(6)]
r.includes?(Xs.new(5)) # => true