Description:
This error occurs when you try to create a hash literal without using the ‘=’ operator between the key and value.
In Ruby, hashes are key-value pairs, and each key-value pair is separated by a comma. The ‘=’, or equals operator,
is used to assign a value to each key.
Without the ‘=’ operator, Ruby will interpret the code as an attempt to create a hash with a missing key-value assignment,
leading to the “missing ‘=’ operator after key in hash literal” error.
Examples:
Let’s consider some examples to better understand the error.
Example 1:
# Incorrect usage without '=' operator
hash = { key1: "value1", key2 "value2" }
# Corrected usage
hash = { key1: "value1", key2: "value2" }
In the given example, the incorrect usage of missing ‘=’ operator after the key ‘key2’ will result in the error.
The corrected usage includes the ‘=’ operator after the key, ensuring the hash is properly defined.
Example 2:
# Incorrect usage without '=' operator
hash = { "key1" => "value1", "key2" "value2" }
# Corrected usage
hash = { "key1" => "value1", "key2" => "value2" }
This example demonstrates another case using the older hash syntax. The incorrect usage of missing ‘=’ operator after the
key ‘key2’ will produce the same error. The corrected usage includes the ‘=’ operator after each key-value pair.