[need help] what is the difference between :action => :index and :action => 'index'

rubyonrails-talk
1

i have read lots of resources about ruby symbol, but i'm still very confused about it! when i write a rails project, i can not distinguish the difference like the subject above and in fact it seems the same when browsing through two different computers , why?

2

when i write a rails project, i can not distinguish the difference like the subject above and in fact it seems the same when browsing through two different computers , why?

Although :index and "index" are two very different things, Rails implements something called HashWithIndifferentAccess that means you can get away with using either.

It's better to use :symbols than "strings" where you can, because a symbol is stored only once in memory, whereas a string requires an extra copy each time you refer to it.

There's an excellent explanation at http://glu.ttono.us/articles/2005/08/19/understanding-ruby-symbols .

Gwyn.

3

Thank you!