tie.rb

class Array
  # This method reads from the DATA section of this file, which
  # in Ruby is marked by __END__. It takes each line and pushes
  # it into the calling array, yields the code block and writes 
  # the array, one element per line, to the end of the file,
  # starting at the beginning of the DATA block. Idea stolen
  # from O'Reilly's Perl Cookbook.
  def tie()
    DATA.each_line { |line| self.push(line.chomp) }
    yield
    # open the file for writing
    # TODO: use "a" instead of "w+"
    File.open(__FILE__,File::RDWR) do |file|
      # look through the file for the DATA section
      file.each_line do |line|
        break if line =~ /^__END__$/
      end
      # write to the file
      each { |line| line ? file.puts(line) : file.puts("") }
    end
  end
end