My favorite rails commit message: a little less hokus pokus

It’s not an especially serious commit, but it demonstrates how you can be obsessive in a good way about clarity.

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-      def translate(*args)
-        args << args.extract_options!.merge(:raise => true)
-        I18n.translate *args

# vs

+      def translate(key, options = {})
+        options[:raise] = true
+        I18n.translate(key, options)

While this sounds kind of effete, if I read that code to myself, the first one’s voice would be really crazy and busy, like some sort of commando in a war, while the second one would just be calm and clear.