Def swfupload_file=(data)

Ruby
1

Following this tutorial:
http://jimneath.org/2008/05/15/swfupload-paperclip-and-ruby-on-rails/

I want to ask about this method definition:

def swfupload_file=(data)

What is meant by the =(data) part?

Thanks.

2

Abder-Rahman A. wrote:

Following this tutorial:
http://jimneath.org/2008/05/15/swfupload-paperclip-and-ruby-on-rails/

I want to ask about this method definition:

def swfupload_file=(data)

What is meant by the =(data) part?

The method’s name is “swfupload_file=”, and (data) is the one argument
that the method takes.

Methods with name ending ‘=’ are treated slightly specially. The syntax

foo.bar = baz

looks like an assignment, but it isn’t. It is actually calling method
“bar=” on object foo, with argument baz. In long-hand it would be

foo.send(:bar=, baz)

Also, these sorts of methods always return their argument, not the final
value evaluated or the value on a ‘return’ statement. That is,

a = foo.bar = baz

will always set a to baz, regardless of what the method bar= returns.

3

Thanks Brian for your clarification.