= ignore_nil {}

== DESCRIPTION

ignore_nil lets you happily ignore nil methods on long method chains.  Keeps code pretty and much safer than "rescue nil", since it only catches NoMethodError on nil objects.

ignore_nil {} will either return the last thing evaluated in the block, or nil if a NoMethodError is raised calling a method on a nil object.  Any other exceptions raised in the block are not handled, and left for the application to resolve.

== INSTALLATION

as a gem:
  sudo gem install ssoroka-ignore_nil

as a plugin:
  script/plugin install git://github.com/ssoroka/ignore_nil.git
  
== USAGE

  ignore_nil { user.profile.photo }
  
which is much cleaner than, say,

  user && user.profile && user.profile.photo
  
and much much safer than

  user.profile.photo rescue nil
  
which will eat any error, even if it's one you really want to see.

== HELP!

I really think this is much better than the new try() syntax in Rails 2.3.
If you use and like this gem, please +1 it here:
https://rails.lighthouseapp.com/projects/8994/tickets/2364-ignore_nil-as-a-better-alternative-to-try

== AUTHOR

Steven Soroka
http://www.twitter.com/ssoroka
http://blog.stevensoroka.ca