Using dynamic method calling with attr_writer methods

I'm a total Ruby newbie looking for help.

I'm writing an application where I need to dynamical assign object
variables via attr_writer object methods.

My code is something like this:

   class Test < ParentClass
       attr_reader :one, :two, :three
       attr_writer :one, :two, :three

       def initialize
          super
       end

   end
( I know I could use attr_accessor but for testing I'll stick to
attr_writer and _reader)

Now I try to call the 'Test' methods dynamical witch 'object.send' from
within my main application:

   [...]

   @methods = ['one', 'two', 'three']

   test = Test.new

   @methods.each { |a| test.send(a, 'foo') }

   [...]

This throws the error: ArgumentError: wrong number of Arguments (1 for
0)

As far as I understand, this is the correct behaviour. Because without
the second argument, the method call returns the value of the class
variable. So I believe, that this should work if i'll write all the
setter and getter methods myself (which I don't want to, because I'm
using a lot of variables).
Are there any other methods I can use to dynamically call attr_writer
methods to assign values to the class variables or did I get something
wrong and made a mistake?

···

--
Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/.

I'm pretty new to ruby too, but from what I understand, the writer methods
will be called one=, two=, etc

So changing that @methods array to include the equals should fix your
problem

Hope this helps,
Nick

···

On 5/9/07, Markus Hohenhaus <markush@hni.upb.de> wrote:

I'm a total Ruby newbie looking for help.

I'm writing an application where I need to dynamical assign object
variables via attr_writer object methods.

My code is something like this:

   class Test < ParentClass
       attr_reader :one, :two, :three
       attr_writer :one, :two, :three

       def initialize
          super
       end

   end
( I know I could use attr_accessor but for testing I'll stick to
attr_writer and _reader)

Now I try to call the 'Test' methods dynamical witch 'object.send' from
within my main application:

   [...]

   @methods = ['one', 'two', 'three']

   test = Test.new

   @methods.each { |a| test.send(a, 'foo') }

   [...]

This throws the error: ArgumentError: wrong number of Arguments (1 for
0)

As far as I understand, this is the correct behaviour. Because without
the second argument, the method call returns the value of the class
variable. So I believe, that this should work if i'll write all the
setter and getter methods myself (which I don't want to, because I'm
using a lot of variables).
Are there any other methods I can use to dynamically call attr_writer
methods to assign values to the class variables or did I get something
wrong and made a mistake?

--
Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/\.

The problem is you are calling the 'getters' with an argument ('foo').
Getters don't take an argument, thus the error message. You want:

    @methods.each { |a| puts test.send(a) }

I added the puts, otherwise you won't get any output.

If you want to call the setters, you need to send a different method name:

    @methods.each { |a| test.send("#{a}=", 'foo') }

And of course you need to send an argument also.

Gary Wright

···

On May 9, 2007, at 3:23 PM, Markus Hohenhaus wrote:

I'm a total Ruby newbie looking for help.
[...]
   @methods.each { |a| test.send(a, 'foo') }

This throws the error: ArgumentError: wrong number of Arguments (1 for
0)

The problem is you are calling the 'getters' with an argument ('foo').
Getters don't take an argument, thus the error message. You want:

    @methods.each { |a| puts test.send(a) }

I added the puts, otherwise you won't get any output.

Yep, this works perfectly. I already tested this.

If you want to call the setters, you need to send a different method
name:

    @methods.each { |a| test.send("#{a}=", 'foo') }

And of course you need to send an argument also.

That's it!! Thanks. Now everything works as expected. Allthough I like
mine better, seems more
logical to me ;).

···

--
Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/\.

Well, you can do that too, if you like:

class Module
  def attr_readwrite( *methods )
    class_eval{
      methods.each{ |method_name|
        define_method( method_name ){ |*val|
          val = val.first
          unless val.nil?
            instance_variable_set( "@#{method_name}", val )
          else
            instance_variable_get( "@#{method_name}" )
          end
        }
      }
    }
  end
end

class Foo
  attr_readwrite :foo, :bar
end

f = Foo.new

f.foo( 42 )
p f.foo
#=> 42
f.foo( 12 )
p f.foo
#=> 12

(I think there's a more elegant way to define the method and detect if
it received a value, but I was too lazy to figure it out.)

I'm pretty sure Ara T. Howard's 'attributes' gem also gives you the
ability to do what you want, where calling the method without a
parameter acts as a getter, and calling it with a parameter acts as a
setter. And I bet his way is clean. :slight_smile:

···

On May 9, 2:10 pm, Markus Hohenhaus <mark...@hni.upb.de> wrote:

That's it!! Thanks. Now everything works as expected. Allthough I like
mine better, seems more
logical to me ;).