# Accessor methods for class methods **URL:** \ **Category:** Ruby\ **Created:** [September 5, 2008, 9:42pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/accessor-methods-for-class-methods/147836 "2008-09-05T21:42:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![leveille](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/l/a88e57/32.png) [@leveille](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/leveille)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 9:42pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/accessor-methods-for-class-methods/147836/1 "2008-09-05T21:42:47Z")
It seems odd that cattr\_\* (i.e. cattr\_accessor, cattr\_reader, cattr\_writer) is not in the native Ruby and that you have to require active support and rubygems to get this to work. Including the rails stuff appears to slow things down a little. Why is this not built in the native Ruby source? ---
**Author:** ![leveille](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/l/a88e57/32.png) [@leveille](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/leveille)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 9:55pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/accessor-methods-for-class-methods/147836/2 "2008-09-05T21:55:17Z")
El Viernes, 5 de Septiembre de 2008, Jason L. escribió: > It seems odd that cattr\_\* (i.e. cattr\_accessor, cattr\_reader, > cattr\_writer) is not in the native Ruby and that you have to require > active support and rubygems to get this to work. Including the rails > stuff appears to slow things down a little. Why is this not built in the > native Ruby source? Note that you can do the same using: * * * class MyClass class \<\< self attr\_accessor :class\_attribute\_1, :class\_attribute\_2 end ## end So you can use it: ---
**Author:** ![leveille](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/l/a88e57/32.png) [@leveille](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/leveille)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 10:00pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/accessor-methods-for-class-methods/147836/3 "2008-09-05T22:00:33Z")
Hi – On Sat, 6 Sep 2008, Jason L. wrote: > It seems odd that cattr\_\* (i.e. cattr\_accessor, cattr\_reader, > cattr\_writer) is not in the native Ruby and that you have to require > active support and rubygems to get this to work. Including the rails > stuff appears to slow things down a little. Why is this not built in the > native Ruby source? I can’t answer that directly, but I can tell you why I’m glad it isn’t. It’s partly that class variables are a bit oddball to start with, and I’m not eager to see them used a lot more. But it’s also the terminology. An “attribute” is, or should be, an attribute of an object. But class variables are not object-specific; they’re very promiscuous, visible to a class, its instances, and all the subclasses and all their instances. Therefore, a class variable is not an appropriate choice for representing an “attribute”. The fit between instance variables, as a language-level construct, and “attribute”, as a concept, is very good; but class variables are very different from instance variables, and the “attr” terminology is very loose. (The methods may have uses, but the names are problematic.) David ---
**Author:** ![leveille](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/l/a88e57/32.png) [@leveille](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/leveille)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2008, 12:26am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/accessor-methods-for-class-methods/147836/4 "2008-09-06T00:26:32Z")
> It seems odd that cattr\_\* (i.e. cattr\_accessor, cattr\_reader, > cattr\_writer) is not in the native Ruby I can not answer this but personally I have stopped using class variables after - i had a smallish bug which was caused by a stupid usage I did long ago of a class variable - there really is not a huge need to use a class var in the first place (in my opinion and experience). So personally, for me, I have found that I can live perfectly happy without class vars, and in these times, whenever I can achieve the same with a very simple easy route, I use it. There may be a few valid use cases for a class var but I honestly have never seen them as being very important. ---
**Author:** ![leveille](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/l/a88e57/32.png) [@leveille](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/leveille)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2008, 1:05am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/accessor-methods-for-class-methods/147836/5 "2008-09-06T01:05:59Z")
Thanks. That makes sense. I want to do what is simplest, but it seems without cattr things would get worse. Here is what I’m trying to do: I have one rb file used for inputs: require ‘rubygems’ require ‘activesupport’ class Input cattr\_reader :y def self.y @y = 2 end end \*\*except I have lots of vars instead of just :y and I’m assigning them values here. Then I go to a new rb file and do this: require ‘firstfile.rb’ class NewClass def do\_something Input.y \* 2.3 end end new = NewClass.new p new.do\_something \*\*The fact that I need to say “Input.y” seems very bulky. Is there a better way to do this? Plus, if I get away from class vars, it will get bulkier. any ideas? ---
**Author:** ![leveille](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/l/a88e57/32.png) [@leveille](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/leveille)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2008, 1:20am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/accessor-methods-for-class-methods/147836/6 "2008-09-06T01:20:43Z")
HI – On Sat, 6 Sep 2008, Jason L. wrote: > def self.y > class NewClass > bulkier. any ideas? > You’re not actually using any class variables in your example. If you > delete the cattr\_reader line, the code still runs. You’re writing a > “reader” method (Input.y) by hand, and it’s using an instance > variable, not a class variable (an instance variable belonging to the > class Input itself). David