# What does :: mean at the beginning?

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/what-does-mean-at-the-beginning/146521>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [August 21, 2008, 10:49pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/what-does-mean-at-the-beginning/146521 "2008-08-21T22:49:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ISSSSaki\_Baz\_C](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/i/51bf81/32.png) [@ISSSSaki\_Baz\_C](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/ISSSSaki_Baz_C)\
**Post date:** [August 21, 2008, 10:49pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/what-does-mean-at-the-beginning/146521/1 "2008-08-21T22:49:28Z")

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Hi, looking at a Ruby code I’ve found this:

repo = ::Logging::Repository.instance

What does the first :: mean?

Thanks.

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**Author:** ![ISSSSaki\_Baz\_C](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/i/51bf81/32.png) [@ISSSSaki\_Baz\_C](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/ISSSSaki_Baz_C)\
**Post date:** [August 21, 2008, 10:53pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/what-does-mean-at-the-beginning/146521/2 "2008-08-21T22:53:34Z")

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It’s an “ensure you’re pulling from the top level”. Works exactly the  
same as in C++

Jason

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**Author:** ![ISSSSaki\_Baz\_C](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/i/51bf81/32.png) [@ISSSSaki\_Baz\_C](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/ISSSSaki_Baz_C)\
**Post date:** [August 21, 2008, 10:55pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/what-does-mean-at-the-beginning/146521/3 "2008-08-21T22:55:55Z")

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On Aug 21, 2008, at 2:41 PM, Iñaki Baz C. wrote:

> Hi, looking at a Ruby code I’ve found this:
> 
> repo = ::Logging::Repository.instance
> 
> What does the first :: mean?
> 
> Thanks.

start a the ‘top’ namespace

class A  
end

module M  
class A  
end

```
p ::A # the top level one, not the normally scoped one

```

end

a @ [http://codeforpeople.com/](http://codeforpeople.com/)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ISSSSaki\_Baz\_C](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/i/51bf81/32.png) [@ISSSSaki\_Baz\_C](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/ISSSSaki_Baz_C)\
**Post date:** [August 21, 2008, 10:58pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/what-does-mean-at-the-beginning/146521/4 "2008-08-21T22:58:51Z")

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El Jueves, 21 de Agosto de 2008, Jason R.  
escribió:\> It’s an “ensure you’re pulling from the top level”. Works exactly the

> same as in C++

Let me be sure:

module A  
CONS = “AAA”  
module B  
CONS = “BBB”  
end  
end

module A  
module B  
puts :🅰:CONS  
end  
end

=\> AAA

Is it?

Thanks a lot.