# String -\> symbol **URL:** \ **Category:** Ruby\ **Created:** [May 22, 2007, 9:14pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/string-symbol/104813 "2007-05-22T21:14:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/u/4bbf92/32.png) [@unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/unknown)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 9:14pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/string-symbol/104813/1 "2007-05-22T21:14:22Z")
ok - i’m officially an idiot. i want to dynamically alias the names of all methods in a module… i need to string-manipulate the original method name to get the new one. alias\_method only takes symbol names and the only tricks i know to convert strings to symbols (i.e., method(“this\_func”) and SomeClass.method\_eval("this\_func) don’t apply. my\_module.instance\_modules.each{ |m| m\_new\_name = alias\_method \ \ more generally, is there some easy way to convert strings to symbols that i’ve missed? thanks m ---
**Author:** ![unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/u/4bbf92/32.png) [@unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/unknown)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 9:19pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/string-symbol/104813/2 "2007-05-22T21:19:23Z")
On Wed, May 23, 2007 at 04:13:49AM +0900, removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid wrote: > ok - i’m officially an idiot. > > i want to dynamically alias the names of all methods in a module… i need to string-manipulate the original method name to get the new one. alias\_method only takes symbol names and the only tricks i know to convert strings to symbols (i.e., method(“this\_func”) and SomeClass.method\_eval("this\_func) don’t apply. > > my\_module.instance\_modules.each{ |m| > m\_new\_name = > alias\_method \ \ > > more generally, is there some easy way to convert strings to symbols that i’ve missed? “a\_string”.to\_sym # =\> :a\_string enjoy, -jeremy ---
**Author:** ![unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/u/4bbf92/32.png) [@unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/unknown)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 9:22pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/string-symbol/104813/3 "2007-05-22T21:22:23Z")
From: removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid [[mailto:removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid)] Sent: Tuesday, May 22, 2007 10:14 PM > more generally, is there some easy way to convert strings to symbols that > i’ve missed? Is String#to\_sym (or String#intern) what you looking for? V. ---
**Author:** ![unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/u/4bbf92/32.png) [@unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/unknown)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 11:02pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/string-symbol/104813/4 "2007-05-22T23:02:34Z")
> > more generally, is there some easy way to convert strings to symbols > > that i’ve missed? > > Is String#to\_sym (or String#intern) what you looking for? Which one is in fact preferred? - donald ---
**Author:** ![unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/u/4bbf92/32.png) [@unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/unknown)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 9:36pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/string-symbol/104813/5 "2007-05-22T21:36:24Z")
removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid wrote: > alias\_method only takes symbol names > That isn’t true. alias\_method takes strings just fine: > > class A; alias\_method ‘foo’, ‘to\_s’;end; A.new.foo # =\> “#\” ---
**Author:** ![unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/u/4bbf92/32.png) [@unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/unknown)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2007, 12:07am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/string-symbol/104813/6 "2007-05-23T00:07:39Z")
removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid wrote: > more generally, is there some easy way to convert strings to symbols that > i’ve missed? String#to\_sym HTH, Sebastian ---
**Author:** ![unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/u/4bbf92/32.png) [@unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/unknown)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2007, 12:14am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/string-symbol/104813/7 "2007-05-23T00:14:39Z")
On 5/22/07, Ball, Donald A Jr (Library) [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > > > more generally, is there some easy way to convert strings to symbols > > > that i’ve missed? > > > > Is String#to\_sym (or String#intern) what you looking for? > > Which one is in fact preferred? Either one, they are synonymous. – Rick DeNatale My blog on Ruby [http://talklikeaduck.denhaven2.com/](http://talklikeaduck.denhaven2.com/)