# Attr\_reader + attr\_writer? **URL:** \ **Category:** ruby-talk\ **Created:** [13 October 2006 00:31 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/attr-reader-attr-writer/31853 "2006-10-13T00:31:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Joe\_Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/aeb1de/32.png) [@Joe\_Ruby](https://rubytalk.org/u/Joe_Ruby)\ **Post date:** [13 October 2006 00:31 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/attr-reader-attr-writer/31853/1 "2006-10-13T00:31:58Z")
Is there a class method that combines attr\_reader and attr\_writer? I thought I remember seeing some "cattr\_\*" method, but don't know what that was. Thanks, Joe > **···** > > -- > Posted via [http://www.ruby-forum.com/](http://www.ruby-forum.com/). ---
**Author:** ![Kirk\_Haines](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Kirk\_Haines](https://rubytalk.org/u/Kirk_Haines)\ **Post date:** [13 October 2006 00:34 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/attr-reader-attr-writer/31853/2 "2006-10-13T00:34:12Z")
class Foo attr\_accessor :bar end foo = Foo.new foo.bar = 7 puts foo.bar =\> 7 Kirk Haines > **···** > > On Fri, 13 Oct 2006, Joe Ruby MUDCRAP-CE wrote: > > > Is there a class method that combines attr\_reader and attr\_writer? I > > thought I remember seeing some "cattr\_\*" method, but don't know what > > that was. ---
**Author:** ![Jeremy\_Woertink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5e9695/32.png) [@Jeremy\_Woertink](https://rubytalk.org/u/Jeremy_Woertink)\ **Post date:** [13 October 2006 01:03 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/attr-reader-attr-writer/31853/3 "2006-10-13T01:03:10Z")
Joe Ruby MUDCRAP-CE wrote: > Is there a class method that combines attr\_reader and attr\_writer? I > thought I remember seeing some "cattr\_\*" method, but don't know what > that was. > > Thanks, > Joe I'm still new to this whole ruby and programming stuff, but doesn't attr\_accessor do both of those? > **···** > > -- > Posted via [http://www.ruby-forum.com/\](http://www.ruby-forum.com/%5C). ---
**Author:** ![jyzhang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/838e76/32.png) [@jyzhang](https://rubytalk.org/u/jyzhang)\ **Post date:** [13 October 2006 08:52 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/attr-reader-attr-writer/31853/4 "2006-10-13T08:52:35Z")
attr\_accessor defines both a writer and a reader cattr\_\* is for class variables... you know... the kind that looks like @@var James Zhang Jeremy Woertink wrote: > **···** > > > Joe Ruby MUDCRAP-CE wrote: > > \> Is there a class method that combines attr\_reader and attr\_writer? I > > \> thought I remember seeing some "cattr\_\*" method, but don't know what > > \> that was. > > \> > > \> Thanks, > > \> Joe > > > > I'm still new to this whole ruby and programming stuff, but doesn't > > attr\_accessor do both of those? > > > > -- > > Posted via [http://www.ruby-forum.com/\](http://www.ruby-forum.com/%5C). ---
**Author:** ![Marc\_Heiler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e8c25b/32.png) [@Marc\_Heiler](https://rubytalk.org/u/Marc_Heiler)\ **Post date:** [13 October 2006 12:35 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/attr-reader-attr-writer/31853/5 "2006-10-13T12:35:37Z")
Jeremy Woertink wrote: > Joe Ruby MUDCRAP-CE wrote: > > > Is there a class method that combines attr\_reader and attr\_writer? I > > thought I remember seeing some "cattr\_\*" method, but don't know what > > that was. > > > > Thanks, > > Joe > > I'm still new to this whole ruby and programming stuff, but doesn't > attr\_accessor do both of those? yes, attr\_accessor does this. I was also toying with an attr\_reader that allows ? for read-vars ... ruby triggers crazy ideas. A haskell guy once said that he liked ? at end of method names in Ruby. 😉 > **···** > > -- > Posted via [http://www.ruby-forum.com/\](http://www.ruby-forum.com/%5C). ---
**Author:** ![David\_A\_Black3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6a8cbe/32.png) [@David\_A\_Black3](https://rubytalk.org/u/David_A_Black3)\ **Post date:** [13 October 2006 12:31 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/attr-reader-attr-writer/31853/6 "2006-10-13T12:31:41Z")
HI -- > **···** > > On Fri, 13 Oct 2006, jyzhang wrote: > > > attr\_accessor defines both a writer and a reader > > > > cattr\_\* is for class variables... you know... the kind that looks like > > @@var > > Ruby doesn't have any cattr\_\* methods, though. Also, if you write a > wrapper around class variables, it would be better to call them > something else, as the "attr" in "cattr" implies that you're dealing > with an object attribute. Since class variables are shared by many > objects, they're not actually representing attributes. > > David > > -- >                    David A. Black | dblack@wobblini.net > Author of "Ruby for Rails" [1] | Ruby/Rails training & consultancy [3] > DABlog (DAB's Weblog) [2] | Co-director, Ruby Central, Inc. [4] > [1] [Ruby for Rails](http://www.manning.com/black) | [3] [http://www.rubypowerandlight.com](http://www.rubypowerandlight.com) > [2] [http://dablog.rubypal.com](http://dablog.rubypal.com) | [4] [http://www.rubycentral.org](http://www.rubycentral.org) ---
**Author:** ![7rans](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/7/a8b319/32.png) [@7rans](https://rubytalk.org/u/7rans)\ **Post date:** [13 October 2006 15:25 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/attr-reader-attr-writer/31853/7 "2006-10-13T15:25:10Z")
dblack@wobblini.net wrote: > HI -- > > \> attr\_accessor defines both a writer and a reader > \> > \> cattr\_\* is for class variables... you know... the kind that looks like > \> @@var > > Ruby doesn't have any cattr\_\* methods, though. Also, if you write a > wrapper around class variables, it would be better to call them > something else, as the "attr" in "cattr" implies that you're dealing > with an object attribute. Since class variables are shared by many > objects, they're not actually representing attributes. To be clear cattr methods create both instance level and class level accessors using @@vars for storage. What would be a better name then class attribute? T. > **···** > > > On Fri, 13 Oct 2006, jyzhang wrote: