NAME
  arrayfields.rb

URIS
  http://rubyforge.org/projects/arrayfields/
  http://www.codeforpeople.com/lib/ruby/arrayfields/
  http://raa.ruby-lang.org/project/arrayfields/

SYNOPSIS
    require 'arrayfields'  

    fields = 'name', 'age'
    a = [ 'zaphod', 42 ]

    a.fields = fields

    a[ 'name' ]                #=> 'zaphod'
    a[ :name  ]                #=> 'zaphod'
    a.indices 'name', 'age'    #=> [ 'zaphod', 42 ]

DESCRIPTION
  allow keyword access to array instances.  arrayfields works by adding only a
  few methods to arrays, namely #fields= and fields, but the #fields= method
  is hooked to extend arrays on a per object basis.  in otherwords __only__
  those arrays whose fields are set will have auto-magical keyword access
  bestowed on them - all other arrays remain unaffected.  arrays with keyword
  access require much less memory when compared to hashes/objects and yet
  still provide fast lookup.

LIST OF OVERRIDDEN METHODS
  Array#[]
  Array#slice
  Array#[]=
  Array#at
  Array#delete_at
  Array#fill
  Array#values_at
  Array#indices
  Array#indexes
  Array#slice!

LIST OF HASH-LIKE METHODS
  Array#each_with_field
  Array#each_pair
  Array#each_key
  Array#each_value
  Array#fetch
  Array#has_key?
  Array#member?
  Array#key?
  Array#has_value?
  Array#value?
  Array#keys
  Array#store
  Array#values
  Array#to_hash
  Array#to_h
  Array#update
  Array#replace
  Array#invert

LIST OF ADDED Array METHODS
  Array#fields=
  Array#fields

LIST OF ADDED Array CLASS METHODS
  Array.fields/Array.struct

SAMPLES

  <========< sample/a.rb >========>

  ~ > cat sample/a.rb

    require 'arrayfields'
    #
    # the class Array has only a few added method, one is for setting the fields,
    # when the fields are set for an array THIS INSTANCE ONLY will be modified to
    # allow keyword access.  other arrays will not be affected!
    #
      a = [0,1,2]
      fields = ['zero', 'one', 'two']
      a.fields = fields                # ONLY the Array 'a' is affected!
    #
    # keyword access is now allowed for many methods
    #
      p a['zero']                        #=> 0
      p a['one']                         #=> 1