How do I pass multiple arguments to a ruby method as an array?

I have a method in a rails helper file like this

def table_for(collection, *args)
 options = args.extract_options!
 ...
end

and I want to be able to call this method like this

args = [:name, :description, :start_date, :end_date]
table_for(@things, args)

so that I can dynamically pass in the arguments based on a form commit. I can't rewrite the method, because I use it in too many places, how else can I do this?

Ruby handles multiple arguments well.

https://web.archive.org/web/20170113103604/http://www.misuse.org/science/2008/01/30/passing-multiple-arguments-in-ruby-is-your-friend">Here is a pretty good example.

def table_for(collection, *args)
  p collection: collection, args: args
end

table_for("one")
#=> {:collection=>"one", :args=>[]}

table_for("one", "two")
#=> {:collection=>"one", :args=>["two"]}

table_for "one", "two", "three"
#=> {:collection=>"one", :args=>["two", "three"]}

table_for("one", "two", "three")
#=> {:collection=>"one", :args=>["two", "three"]}

table_for("one", ["two", "three"])
#=> {:collection=>"one", :args=>[["two", "three"]]}

(Output cut and pasted from irb)

Just call it this way:

table_for(@things, *args)

The splat (*) operator will do the job, without having to modify the method.

class Hello
  $i=0
  def read(*test)
	$tmp=test.length
	$tmp=$tmp-1
	while($i<=$tmp)
      puts "welcome #{test[$i]}"
	  $i=$i+1
	end
  end
end

p Hello.new.read('johny','vasu','shukkoor')
# => welcome johny
# => welcome vasu
# => welcome shukkoor