require 'dbm'
DBM.open('random_thoughts') do |db|
  db['tape measure'] = 
	"What if there was a tape measure you could use as a yo-yo?"
  db[23] = "Fnord."
end
DBM.open('random_thoughts') do |db|
  puts db['tape measure']
  puts db['23']
end

What if there was a tape measure you could use as a yo-yo?
Fnord.

What if there was a tape measure you could use as a yo-yo?
Fnord.

DBM.open('random_thoughts') { |db| db[23] }

TypeError: can't convert Fixnum into String
...

TypeError: can't convert Fixnum into String
	from (irb):11:in `[]'
	from (irb):11
	from (irb):11

Dir['random_thoughts.*']

require 'bdb'
db = BDB::Hash.create('random_thoughts2.db', nil, BDB::CREATE) 
db['Why do we park on a driveway but'] = 'it never rains but it pours.'
db.close
db = BDB::Hash.open('random_thoughts2.db', nil, 'r')
db['Why do we park on a driveway but']

"it never rains but it pours."

Error! (Exception?) Here's stdout:
NotImplementedError: 
BDB needs compatible versions of libdb & db.h
	you have db.h version 4.4.16 and libdb version 4.4.20

	from /usr/local/lib/site_ruby/1.8/i486-linux/bdb.so
	from (irb):13
NameError: uninitialized constant BDB
	from (irb):14
NoMethodError: undefined method `[]=' for nil:NilClass
	from (irb):15
NoMethodError: undefined method `close' for nil:NilClass
	from (irb):16
NameError: uninitialized constant BDB
	from (irb):17
NoMethodError: undefined method `[]' for nil:NilClass
	from (irb):18

db.close
db = BDB::Btree.create('element_reviews.db', nil, BDB::CREATE) 
db['earth'] = 'My personal favorite element.'
db['water'] = 'An oldie but a goodie.'
db['air'] = 'A good weekend element when you're bored with other elements.'
db['fire'] = 'Perhaps the most overrated element.'
db.each { |k,v| puts k }

air
earth
fire
water

Error! (Exception?) Here's stdout:
NoMethodError: undefined method `close' for nil:NilClass
	from (irb):19
NameError: uninitialized constant BDB
	from (irb):20
NoMethodError: undefined method `[]=' for nil:NilClass
	from (irb):21
NoMethodError: undefined method `[]=' for nil:NilClass
	from (irb):22

db['water']

"An oldie but a goodie."

Error! (Exception?) Here's stdout:

db.close

...