"exporting" module methods

Ruby
1

Is there standard idiom to add module methods to classes that mixin
them? (Heh, is “mixin” also a verb in Ruby?)

That is, I would like class C to croak:

module M
def self.croak
puts “croak!”
end
end

class C
include M
croak
end

– fxn

2

On 2/21/06, Xavier N. [email protected] wrote:

class C
include M
croak
end

When you say you want class C to croak, I assume you really mean you’d
like for objects from the class C to be able to croak. Remove the line
“croak” from the class C definition and do this.

c = C.new
c.croak

The rest of your code looks fine.

3

Hi –

On Tue, 21 Feb 2006, Mark V. wrote:

end
c = C.new
c.croak

The rest of your code looks fine.

I don’t think that’s what Xavier wanted; I think he wanted C to be
able to call M.croak. (Also, in your example, c doesn’t respond to
croak.)

This is an often-discussed question. Some common answers:

  1. module M; def croak; …; end; class C; extend M; end
  2. put “class methods” into M::ClassMethods, and then write
    an M#included hook that extends C with M::ClassMethods
    while also including the rest of M in C.
  3. don’t do that, because if you want two modules, just write
    two modules in the first place and don’t shoehorn “class
    methods” in as instance methods of an inner module
  4. ask Matz to make some fundamental change so that include M
    does what people call “what you expect” (which is not what
    I expect)

And probably more :slight_smile: I would give gold, silver, and bronze to #1,
#3, and #2, in that order.

David

–
David A. Black ([email protected])
Ruby Power and Light (http://www.rubypowerandlight.com)

“Ruby for Rails” chapters now available
from Manning Early Access Program! Ruby for Rails

4

On 2/21/06, [email protected] [email protected] wrote:

I don’t think that’s what Xavier wanted; I think he wanted C to be
able to call M.croak. (Also, in your example, c doesn’t respond to
croak.)

Wow! I have a fundamental misunderstanding of mixins apparently. I
see that you are correct. c doesn’t respond to croak in the following
code. However, I don’t understand why. Doesn’t the include add
instance methods from the module M to the class C?

module M
def self.croak
puts ‘croak’
end
end

class C
include M
end

c = C.new
c.croak

5

Hi –

On Wed, 22 Feb 2006, Mark V. wrote:

c = C.new
c.croak

Yes, but croak isn’t an instance method :slight_smile: (Note the “self.” part.)

David

–
David A. Black ([email protected])
Ruby Power and Light (http://www.rubypowerandlight.com)

“Ruby for Rails” chapters now available
from Manning Early Access Program! Ruby for Rails

6

On Feb 21, 2006, at 8:31 AM, Xavier N. wrote:

class C
include M
croak
end

I tend to do it like this:

Module M
extend self # duplicate instance methods as class methods

def croak
puts “Croak!”
end
end

class C
extend M # class-level mixin
croak
end

Hope that helps.

James Edward G. II

7

On 2/21/06, [email protected] [email protected] wrote:

Wow! I have a fundamental misunderstanding of mixins apparently. I
class C
include M
end

c = C.new
c.croak

Yes, but croak isn’t an instance method :slight_smile: (Note the “self.” part.)

Silly me! I briefly crossed things in my mind and thought that
including “self.” made it an instance method … and I thought I got
enough sleep last night. :wink: