Very basic question - writing instance method

Rails
1

If we are calling an instance method on particular instance of an object
as:
@obj1.perform_sanity_check(@obj2)

Will the instance method perform_sanity_check have access to @obj1
attributes?

How do I / Do I need to
pass this @obj1 to perform_sanity_check?

2

On Mar 15, 6:22 am, Amita B. <rails-mailing-l…@andreas-
s.net> wrote:

If we are calling an instance method on particular instance of an object
as:
@obj1.perform_sanity_check(@obj2)

Will the instance method perform_sanity_check have access to @obj1
attributes?

Yes.

Fred

3

Will the instance method perform_sanity_check have access to @obj1
attributes?

yes, with
self.attribute

4

In object-oriented programming and your example, @obj1 is not being
“passed” to perform_sanity_check, it is the “receiver object,” the
object being “asked” to execute its perform_sanity_check method. In a
way, you are sending a message to the object @obj, requesting that it
execute one of its methods.

Does @obj1 have access to @obj1’s attributes? That depends on the
context. If @obj1.perform_sanity_check appears in the implementation
of one of @obj1’s instance methods, inside the @obj1’s class
definition, then @obj1 can access the instance variables using
self.instance_variable or @instance_variable. Otherwise, the instance
variables aren’t directly accessible (Ruby encapsules object
impelementation). They may be accessible through accessor methods,
methods that may be defined in @obj1’s class definition provided to
(indirectly) access them.

See: “The Ruby P.ming Language” by Flanagan & Matsumoto, Chapter
7: Classes and Modules.

On Mar 14, 11:22 pm, Amita B. <rails-mailing-l…@andreas-

5

In object-oriented programming and your example, @obj1 is not being
“passed” to perform_sanity_check, it is the “receiver object,” the
object being “asked” to execute its perform_sanity_check method. In a
way, you are sending a message to the object @obj, requesting that it
execute one of its methods.

Does @obj1 have access to @obj1’s attributes? That depends on the
context. If @obj1.perform_sanity_check appears in the implementation
of one of @obj1’s instance methods, inside the @obj1’s class
definition, then @obj1 can access the instance variables using
self.instance_variable or @instance_variable. Otherwise, the instance
variables aren’t directly accessible (Ruby encapsules object
impelementation). They may be accessible through accessor methods,
methods that may be defined in @obj1’s class definition provided to
(indirectly) access them.

See: “The Ruby P.ming Language” by Flanagan & Matsumoto, Chapter
7: Classes and Modules.

On Mar 14, 11:22 pm, Amita B. <rails-mailing-l…@andreas-