[ruby] Ruby Array find_first object?

Am I missing something in the Array documentation? I have an array which contains up to one object satisfying a certain criterion. I'd like to efficiently find that object. The best idea I have from the docs is this:

candidates = my_array.select { |e| e.satisfies_condition? }
found_it = candidates.first if !candidates.empty?

But I am unsatisfied for two reasons:

1. That select made me traverse the whole array, even though we could have bailed after the first hit.
2. I needed a line of code (with a condition) to flatten the candidates.

Both operations are wasteful with foreknowledge that there's 0 or 1 satisfying objects.

What I'd like is something like:

array.find_first(block)

which returns nil or the first object for which the block evaluates to true, ending the traversal at that object.

Must I write this myself? All those other great methods in Array make me think it's there and I'm just not seeing it.

Guess you just missed the find method in the docs:

my_array.find {|e| e.satisfies_condition? }

Do you need the object itself or do you just need to know if there is an object that satisfies. If the former then yes: use find:

found_object = my_array.find { |e| e.satisfies_condition? }

otherwise you can use any?

found_it = my_array.any?  { |e| e.satisfies_condition? }

The latter will bail with "true" when it finds one that satisfies the condition. The former will do the same, but return the object.

use array detect method if you wanted to return first value where block returns true

[1,2,3,11,34].detect(&:even?) #=> 2

OR

[1,2,3,11,34].detect{|i| i.even?} #=> 2

If you wanted to return all values where block returns true then use select

[1,2,3,11,34].select(&:even?)  #=> [2, 34]