How to have the same behavior than 'params' function?

Question

Controller functions receivent parameters like

{"v1" => { "v2" => "1", "v3" => "" }, "v4" => "true"}

The params function allows to use

• x = params[:v1], equivalent to x = params["v1"]
• if params[:v4], equivalent to ["true", "1"].include?(params["v4"])
• if (params[:v1][:v2] == 1), equivalent to params["v1"]["v2"] == "1"

Is there any method to have the behavior than params function, but with other datas ?

I want to be able to write something like that...

my_params = {"v1" => { "v2" => "1", "v3" => "" }, "v4" => "true"}
x = my_params[:v1]
if my_params[:v4]
if (my_params[:v1][:v2] == 1)

Or with a function some_function

x = some_function(my_params)[:v1]
if some_function(my_params)[:v4]
if some_function(my_params)[:v1][:v2] == 1)

I'm in Rails 2.

Answer 1

You want a hash with indifferent access:

h = { a: { b: 1, 'c' => 2 } }
=> {:a=>{:b=>1, "c"=>2}}
h[:a][:c]
=> nil


h2 = h.with_indifferent_access
=> {"a"=>{"b"=>1, "c"=>2}}

h2['a'][:c]  
=> 2
h2[:a][:c]
=> 2