list

The list() function in PHP is used to assign multiple variables as if they were an array. Technically, list() is not a function in PHP, it is a language construct.

Ruby has no real need for a function such as list(), as the same can be achieve using parallel assignment - i.e. assigning comma separated variables to elements of an array using the normal assignment operator.

PHP

$langs = array('php', 'ruby', 'perl');
list($lang1, $lang2, $lang3) = $langs;
echo $lang1;	// php
echo $lang2;	// ruby
echo $lang3;	// perl

Ruby

langs = [ "php", "ruby", "perl" ];
lang1, lang2, lang3 = langs;
puts lang1;	# php
puts lang2;	# ruby
puts lang3;	# perl