class Object
   def deep_clone
      Marshal.load(Marshal.dump(self))
   end
end


class Hash

   # From: http://www.sameshirteveryday.com/2007/09/23/ruby-get-full-history-all-parents-of-a-hash-node
   # Author: Alex Gorbatchev
   # for further recursive hash methods see: 
   # - http://snippets.dzone.com/posts/show/1908
   # - http://snippets.dzone.com/posts/show/4706
   
   def nested_key(desired_key, &block)

      return false unless Hash === self
      #return false unless self.is_a?(Hash)

      self.each_pair do |k,v|  
         if k == desired_key or v.nested_key(desired_key, &block)  
            yield(k,v)  
            return true  
         end  
      end  

      return false  
   end


   def deep_values(key)   # cf. http://snippets.dzone.com/posts/show/1908 

      hash = self.deep_clone
      ret = []

      begin

         ar = []
         result = hash.nested_key(key) { |k, v| ar << k }
         break unless result
         ar = ar.reverse

         hk = ""
         ar.size.times { |i| hk << "[ar[#{i}]]" }
         #str = "hash" << hk << " rescue nil"
         str = "hash" << hk 

         # get value for hash key hk
         ret << eval(str)

         # delete the hash key
         key_to_delete = [ar.pop]

         hk = ""
         ar.size.times { |i| hk << "[ar[#{i}]]" }
         str = "hash" << hk
         str = str << ".delete(key_to_delete.first)"
         eval(str)


      end while result

      hash.clear  # optional
      ret

   end


   def deep_delete(key)

      hash = self

      begin

         ar = []
         result = hash.nested_key(key) { |k, v| ar << k }
         break unless result
         ar = ar.reverse

         # delete the hash key
         key_to_delete = [ar.pop]

         hk = ""
         ar.size.times { |i| hk << "[ar[#{i}]]" }
         str = "hash" << hk
         str = str << ".delete(key_to_delete.first)"
         eval(str)

      end while result

   end

end



puts
hash = {  
  :level_1 => {  
    :level_2 => {  :search => 'test1',
      :level_3 => {  
        :search => 'test2', :level_4 => {:search => 'test3'}
      }  
    }  
  }  
}  


require 'pp'

p hash
puts

pp hash
puts

hash.nested_key(:search) { |k, v| puts "#{k}  ::  #{v.inspect}" }

# prints out...
# search  ::  "test1"
# level_2  ::  {:search=>"test1", :level_3=>{:search=>"test2", :level_4=>{:search=>"test3"}}}
# level_1  ::  {:level_2=>{:search=>"test1", :level_3=>{:search=>"test2", :level_4=>{:search=>"test3"}}}}

puts


puts "DEEP VALUES"
p hash.deep_values(:search)   #=> ["test1", "test2", "test3"]
puts

puts "DEEP VALUES DELETED"
hash.deep_delete(:search)
p hash   #=> {:level_1=>{:level_2=>{:level_3=>{:level_4=>{}}}}}
puts

puts "DEEP VALUES"
p hash.deep_values(:search)   #=> []

# Hash#deep_merge
# From: http://pastie.textmate.org/pastes/30372, Elliott Hird
# Source: http://gemjack.com/gems/tartan-0.1.1/classes/Hash.html
# This file contains extensions to Ruby and other useful snippits of code.
# Time to extend Hash with some recursive merging magic.


class Hash

  # Merges self with another hash, recursively.
  # 
  # This code was lovingly stolen from some random gem:
  # http://gemjack.com/gems/tartan-0.1.1/classes/Hash.html
  # 
  # Thanks to whoever made it.

  def deep_merge(hash)
    target = dup
    
    hash.keys.each do |key|
      if hash[key].is_a? Hash and self[key].is_a? Hash
        target[key] = target[key].deep_merge(hash[key])
        next
      end
      
      target[key] = hash[key]
    end
    
    target
  end


  # From: http://www.gemtacular.com/gemdocs/cerberus-0.2.2/doc/classes/Hash.html
  # File lib/cerberus/utils.rb, line 42

  def deep_merge!(second)
    second.each_pair do |k,v|
      if self[k].is_a?(Hash) and second[k].is_a?(Hash)
        self[k].deep_merge!(second[k])
      else
        self[k] = second[k]
      end
    end
  end


#-----------------
        
   # cf. http://subtech.g.hatena.ne.jp/cho45/20061122
   def deep_merge2(other)
      deep_proc = Proc.new { |k, s, o|
         if s.kind_of?(Hash) && o.kind_of?(Hash)
            next s.merge(o, &deep_proc)
         end
         next o
      }
      merge(other, &deep_proc)
   end


   def deep_merge3(second)

      # From: http://www.ruby-forum.com/topic/142809
      # Author: Stefan Rusterholz

      merger = proc { |key,v1,v2| Hash === v1 && Hash === v2 ? v1.merge(v2, &merger) : v2 }
      self.merge(second, &merger)

   end


   def keep_merge(hash)
      target = dup
      hash.keys.each do |key|
         if hash[key].is_a? Hash and self[key].is_a? Hash
            target[key] = target[key].keep_merge(hash[key])
            next
         end
         #target[key] = hash[key]
         target.update(hash) { |key, *values| values.flatten.uniq }
      end
      target
   end

end


h = {:a => {:b => :c}}.merge({:a => {:l => :x}})
p h  #=> {:a=>{:l=>:x}}

h = {:a => {:b => :c}}.deep_merge({:a => {:l => :x}})
p h  #=> {:a=>{:b=>:c, :l=>:x}}
puts


h1 = {:a => {:b => :c}}
h2 = {:a => {:l => :x}}

h = h1.deep_merge(h2)
p h1, h2, h
puts

h = h1.deep_merge2(h2)
p h1, h2, h
puts

h = h1.deep_merge!(h2)
p h1, h2, h


h1 = {:a => {:b => :c}}
h2 = {:a => {:l => :x}}

p h1.deep_merge3(h2)
p h1, h2


first = {
  :data=>{
    :name=>{
      :first=>'Sam',
      :middle=>'I',
      :last=>'am'
    }
  }
}

second={
  :data=>{
    :name=>{
      :middle=>'you',
      :last=>'are'
    }
  }
}


p first.deep_merge3(second)
#=> {:data=>{:name=>{:middle=>"you", :first=>"Sam", :last=>"are"}}}

p first.keep_merge(second)
#=>  {:data=>{:name=>{:first=>"Sam", :middle=>["I", "you"], :last=>["am", "are"]}}}