dingsdax

class Time
  def self.random(years_back=5)
    year = Time.now.year - rand(years_back) - 1
    month = rand(12) + 1
    day = rand(31) + 1
    Time.local(year, month, day)
  end
end

dingsdax

# from http://snippets.dzone.com/posts/show/4638

require 'rubygems'
require 'open-uri'
require 'net/http'

def remote_file_exists?(url)
  url = URI.parse(url)
  Net::HTTP.start(url.host, url.port) do |http|
    return http.head(url.request_uri).code == "200"

dingsdax

# extension for array class
class Array
   # select array items with index
   # give a block both the item with index of array
   # filtered by a select statement
   def select_with_index
     index = -1
     select { |x| index += 1; yield(x, index) }
   end
   # return indices array of array item

dingsdax

# extension for string class
class String
  # return character array of string with indices
  def each_char_with_index
    i = 0
    split(//).each do |c|
      yield i, c
      i += 1
    end
  end