Panda & Tiger level complete

[ralphos]

I've calculated the average year of all the movies the user has liked, but I"m not sure if that's what you meant in your instructions?

Would you mind please clarifying the instructions in the Eagle level? Thanks!

[jwo]

I'd rather you be more explicit about catching that there were no movies returned. Here you are returning nil if there was any exception.

[jwo]

Nice job with the user class and tests -- it flowed well.

As far as explaining the Eagle -- if the slope of the line of your average ratings of movies is increasing, then you're getting happier. If it's decreasing, then you're getting more upset.

[ralphos]

I completed the Eagle level, (or at least my interpretation of it!). It basically calculates the slope based off of the year you 'added the movie to your likes'.

So to actually calculate the slope you would have to wait till next year to begin adding movies to see whether you are getting better or worse at picking movies over time. (Notwithstanding, I tried writing some specs to prove this logic indeed works).

[jwo]

I think this looks great... one minor note: It's the year of the movie that I was thinking would matter on the slope --- if a movie in 1985 you liked was just OK, and in 2010 was GREAT, then the slope would be positive... Not necessarily recording the data in 1985, just that the movie was in 1985.

That said -- you've definitely accomplished this pull. go you!

[ralphos]

ah ok, I had a feeling I wasn't following along with the instructions. It was good practice nonetheless!

Any suggestions as to how to better use a begin/rescue block when handling exceptions? I wasn't sure what else to put in the rescue block other than nil when I first tried to use it?

[jwo]

For begin/rescue I recommend two rules:

1. only having 1 line of code between begin and rescue
2. only rescue the specific exception you want

Good:

def safely_do_the_thing(thing)
  begin
    do_the_thing(thing)
  rescue Panda::ThingFailedError
    return NilPanda.new
  end
end

Bad:

def do_the_thing(thing)
  begin
    operation_1.each do |p|
      p.whatever
      p.save
    end
  rescue Exception
    return nil
  end
end