Class instance method

ruby-talk
1

Consider this irb session

C:\InstantRails-2.0-win\rails_apps>irb
irb(main):001:0> class M
irb(main):002:1> @w = "ralph"
irb(main):003:1>
irb(main):004:1* def M.v
irb(main):005:2> @w
irb(main):006:2> end
irb(main):007:1>
irb(main):008:1* end
=> nil
irb(main):009:0>
irb(main):010:0* puts M.v
ralph
=> nil
irb(main):011:0> puts M::v
ralph
=> nil

I think I understand M.v but what does M::v mean? Is there a semantic and/or philosophical difference between the two?

2

In the case of a method they're approximately the same:

==== begin snippet ====
module M
  def self.foo; "foo"; end
end

M.foo
# => "foo"

M::foo
# => "foo"
==== end snippet ====

But sometimes you want to access _constants_, not methods. Then
they're drastically different:

==== begin snippet ====
module M
  module Inner; end
end

M::Inner
# => M::Inner

M.Inner
# => NoMethodError: undefined method `Inner' for M:Module
==== end snippet ====

···

--
John Feminella
Principal Consultant, BitsBuilder
LI: http://www.linkedin.com/in/johnxf
SO: http://stackoverflow.com/users/75170/

3

Also, when I said that they were "approximately" the same, there are a
few exceptions, though you should rarely if ever encounter them if you
stick to Ruby's conventions. One example of a difference between
"M::(...)" and "M.(...)":

==== begin snippet ====
module M
  def self.Foo; "foo"; end
  module Foo; end
end

M::Foo
# => M::Foo

M.Foo
# => "foo"
==== end snippet ====

The reason you should never encounter this is because it's considered
a violation of the conventions if you don't start methods with a
lowercase letter. That's why we can safely stick to "M::(...)" for
referencing namespaces created by methods or classes, and "M.(...)"
for invoking methods.

···

--
John Feminella
Principal Consultant, BitsBuilder
LI: http://www.linkedin.com/in/johnxf
SO: User John Feminella - Stack Overflow

On Sun, Jun 5, 2011 at 08:54, John Feminella <johnf@bitsbuilder.com> wrote:

In the case of a method they're approximately the same:

==== begin snippet ====
module M
def self.foo; "foo"; end
end

M.foo
# => "foo"

M::foo
# => "foo"
==== end snippet ====

But sometimes you want to access _constants_, not methods. Then
they're drastically different:

==== begin snippet ====
module M
module Inner; end
end

M::Inner
# => M::Inner

M.Inner
# => NoMethodError: undefined method `Inner' for M:Module
==== end snippet ====
--
John Feminella
Principal Consultant, BitsBuilder
LI: http://www.linkedin.com/in/johnxf
SO: User John Feminella - Stack Overflow