为什么没有`to_s`的破坏性版本？

Question

Lets say:

n = 5
n.to_s
p n

the result of n is still 5 rather than "5" . What's the shortest way to replace the original variable n with my newly converted n without having to go through the following:

n = 5
a = n.to_s
p a

Why doesn't Ruby allow me to call to_s! on the object?

Answer 1

An integer cannot magically turn itself into a String. Methods (including ! methods) can only cause the object value to change, not the type. Besides, integers are immutable -- the integer itself can't be modified (but the name pointing at it can be re-pointed at a new integer).

Therefore, to_s! does not exist, and instead you need to rebind the variable by writing eg

n = n.to_s