Better error reporting from eval?

This might seem silly, but it is only a reduced version of a real issue.
Consider the following:

class Thing
  def ev(what)
    eval(what)
  end
  def bar()
    1 + 1
    nil + 2 # causing an exception in bar()
  end
  def foo
    bar()
  end
end

Thing.new.ev("foo()")

NoMethodError: undefined method `+' for nil:NilClass
method ev
in untitled at line 4
method foo
in untitled at line 11
method ev
in untitled document at line 1
method eval
in untitled at line 15
method ev
in untitled at line 4
at top level
in untitled at line 15

Notice that the error report makes no mention of bar(). This can make
exceptions in an eval difficult to track down. Is there a way to get
better error reporting in an eval? Thx - m.

···

--
matt neuburg, phd = matt@tidbits.com, http://www.tidbits.com/matt/
Leopard - http://www.takecontrolbooks.com/leopard-customizing.html
AppleScript - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0596102119
Read TidBITS! It's free and smart. http://www.tidbits.com

def ev(what)
   eval(what, binding, __FILE__, __LINE__)
end

You can pass along the filename and the line number that you want displayed when eval reports errors. The "binding" is simply the binding of your current Thing instance.

Blessings,
TwP

···

On Feb 24, 2009, at 9:24 AM, matt neuburg wrote:

This might seem silly, but it is only a reduced version of a real issue.
Consider the following:

class Thing
def ev(what)
   eval(what)
end
def bar()
   1 + 1
   nil + 2 # causing an exception in bar()
end
def foo
   bar()
end
end

Thing.new.ev("foo()")

Amazing - just adding the word "binding" (in the actual issue I'm
having) in the eval call does indeed solve the whole problem. Thx! m.

···

Tim Pease <tim.pease@gmail.com> wrote:

On Feb 24, 2009, at 9:24 AM, matt neuburg wrote:

> This might seem silly, but it is only a reduced version of a real
> issue.
> Consider the following:
>
> class Thing
> def ev(what)
> eval(what)
> end
> def bar()
> 1 + 1
> nil + 2 # causing an exception in bar()
> end
> def foo
> bar()
> end
> end
>
> Thing.new.ev("foo()")
>

def ev(what)
   eval(what, binding, __FILE__, __LINE__)
end

You can pass along the filename and the line number that you want
displayed when eval reports errors. The "binding" is simply the
binding of your current Thing instance.

--
matt neuburg, phd = matt@tidbits.com, Matt Neuburg’s Home Page
Leopard - http://www.takecontrolbooks.com/leopard-customizing.html
AppleScript - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0596102119
Read TidBITS! It's free and smart. http://www.tidbits.com