How to convert a array of strings to an array of symbols?

Question

Use map rather than each:

>> strings.map { |x| x.to_sym }
=> [:HTML, :CSS, :JavaScript, :Python, :Ruby]

For Ruby 1.8.7 and later or with ActiveSupport included, you can use this syntax:

>> strings.map &:to_sym
=> [:HTML, :CSS, :JavaScript, :Python, :Ruby]

The reason your each method appears to not work is that calling puts with a symbol outputs the string representation of the symbol (that is, without the :). Additionally, you’re just looping through and outputting things; you’re not actually constructing a new array.

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