---
title: Documenting several modern additions of the Ruby language syntax
url: https://calvin.my/posts/documenting-several-modern-additions-of-the-ruby-language-syntax
published: 2025-05-17
updated: 2026-09-14
category: Development
tags:
- Ruby
summary: The article surveys modern Ruby syntax additions that reduce boilerplate. It covers named, numbered, and implicit block parameters; beginless and endless ranges for slicing and query conditions; hash shorthand for matching local variable names and keys; argument forwarding for wrapper methods; and single-line endless method definitions. These features offer more concise alternatives while preserving familiar Ruby behavior.
---

# Documenting several modern additions of the Ruby language syntax

This article documents several important additions to Ruby Syntax.

* * *

## 1\) Block parameters

Option A: Providing a name yourself

```ruby
a = [ "a", "b", "c" ]
a.each { |x| puts x }
```

Option B: Use the numbered parameters

```ruby
a = [ "a", "b", "c" ]
a.each { puts _1 }
```

Option C: Use "it"

```ruby
a = [ "a", "b", "c" ]
a.each { puts it }
```

## 2\) Infinite Ranges

Range up until:

```ruby
a = [ "a", "b", "c", "d", "e", "f" ]
puts a[...-2].to_s

> ["a", "b", "c", "d"]

a = [ "a", "b", "c", "d", "e", "f" ]
puts a[..-2].to_s

> ["a", "b", "c", "d", "e"]
```

Range starts from:

```ruby
a = [ "a", "b", "c", "d", "e", "f" ]
puts a[3..].to_s

> ["d", "e", "f"]

a = [ "a", "b", "c", "d", "e", "f" ]
puts a[0..].to_s

> ["a", "b", "c", "d", "e", "f"]
```

Other use cases:

```ruby
# Example 1: Rails Active Record

Invoice.where(paid: false).where(expires_at: ..Time.current)

# Example 2: Get a substring

str = "Hello World"
puts str[..5]

> "Hello "
```

## 3\) Hash shorthand

Ruby automatically assigns the value of a local variable to the hash key if the name matches.

```ruby
name = "John"
age = 30
x = { name:, age: }
y = { name: name, age: age }
puts x == y

> true
```

## 4\) Arguments Forwarding

Arguments can be forwarded by using triple dots.

```ruby
def plus(a, b)
  a + b
end

def plus_with_comment(comment, ...)
  puts comment
  puts plus(...)
end

plus_with_comment("Adding 1 and 2", 1, 2)

> Adding 1 and 2
> 3
```

## 5\) Endless Method Definition

Ruby allows endless method definition.

```ruby
# Normal, with end
def plus(a, b)
  a + b
end

# Endless
def minus(a, b) = a - b

puts plus(1, 2)
puts minus(1, 2)

> 3
> -1
```