Merge pull request #33 from jrafanie/discard_nil_value_option

Merge nil values or keep the original via an option

README.md

@@ -99,6 +99,15 @@ Push src elements to existing arrays, instead of overwriting them.
     dest.deep_merge!(source, {:extend_existing_arrays => true})
     Results: {"property" => ["1", "2", "3", "4"]}
 
+**:merge_nil_values**
+
+The purpose of this option is to allow nil hash values to be merged.  The prior behavior was to discard nil hash values and remains the default if not specified.
+
+    source = {"item" => nil}
+    dest   = {"item" => "existing"}
+    dest.deep_merge!(source, {:merge_nil_values => true})
+    Results: {"item" => nil}
+
 There are many tests for this library - and you can learn more about the features and usages of deep_merge! by just browsing the test examples.
 
 Using deep_merge in Rails

lib/deep_merge/core.rb

@@ -94,10 +94,12 @@ def self.deep_merge!(source, dest, options = {})
     extend_existing_arrays = options[:extend_existing_arrays] || false
     # request that arrays keep duplicate elements
     keep_array_duplicates = options[:keep_array_duplicates] || false
+    # request that nil values are merged or skipped (Skipped/false by default)
+    merge_nil_values = options[:merge_nil_values] || false
 
     di = options[:debug_indent] || ''
     # do nothing if source is nil
-    return dest if source.nil?
+    return dest if !merge_nil_values && source.nil?
     # if dest doesn't exist, then simply copy source to it
     if !(dest) && overwrite_unmergeable
       dest = source; return dest

test/test_deep_merge.rb

@@ -630,7 +630,16 @@ def test_deep_merge
     DeepMerge::deep_merge!(hash_src, hash_dst, {:keep_array_duplicates => true})
     assert_equal({"item" => ["1", "2", "2", "3"]}, hash_dst)
 
+    # Don't merge nil values by default
+    hash_src = {"item" => nil}
+    hash_dst = {"item" => "existing"}
+    DeepMerge::deep_merge!(hash_src, hash_dst)
+    assert_equal({"item" => "existing"}, hash_dst)
 
-
+    # Merge nil values via an explicit: :merge_nil_values => true
+    hash_src = {"item" => nil}
+    hash_dst = {"item" => "existing"}
+    DeepMerge::deep_merge!(hash_src, hash_dst, {:merge_nil_values => true})
+    assert_equal({"item" => nil}, hash_dst)
   end # test_deep_merge
 end