Class methods like attr:

Ruby
1

How can I create methods like “attr:” that can create methods and
instance
variables?

I’d like to do this

class B < A
my_property :k, “K”
def test
p @k # should print “K”
p @@my_properties # should print [‘k’]
end
end

I tried with this (non-) solution

class A
def A.my_property(sym, val)
self.instance_eval {
@@my_properties ||= Array.new()
@@my_properties << sym.to_s
eval “@#{sym.id2name} = “#{val}””
# p @k1 # << this shows “K1.B” or “K1.C” as expected
}
end
end

but these tests showed me that I was wrong

class A
def test
p @@my_properties
end
end

class B < A
my_property :k1, “K1.B” # k1 is a string fixed to “K1”
my_property :k2, “K2.B”
def test
super # should be [‘k1’, ‘k2’]
p @k1 # should be “K1”
end
end

class C < A
my_property :k1, “K1.C”
def test
super # should be [‘k1’]
p @k1 # should be “K1.C”
end
end

A.new.test (should print nil or a warning) => [“k1”, “k2”, “k1”]

B.new.test (should print [‘k1’, ‘k2’] ‘K1.B’) => [“k1”, “k2”, “k1”]
./at.rb:28: warning: instance variable @k1 not initialized
nil

A.new.test (should print nil or a warning) => [“k1”, “k2”, “k1”]

C.new.test (should print [‘k1’] ‘K1.C’) => [“k1”, “k2”, “k1”]
./at.rb:36: warning: instance variable @k1 not initialized
nil

Any suggestion or idea?

2

Check this tutorial/game/artwork out:
http://poignantguide.net/dwemthy/

By the end, you will definitely know how to create methods that behave
like attr_accessor.

3

Here’s a quick hack. There are probably better ways.

def self.var_with_default(variable, default)
@@current_default = default
class_eval <<-END_BLOCK
@@default_#{variable.to_s} = @@current_default
attr_writer #{variable.to_s}
def #{variable.to_s}
@#{variable.to_s} || @@default_#{variable.to_s}
end
END_BLOCK
end

Include that in the class it will be used in (or an ancestor). This
method is not thread safe.

4

Gioele B. wrote:

end
    # p @k1 # << this shows "K1.B" or "K1.C" as expected

end
class C < A
/at.rb:28: warning: instance variable @k1 not initialized
nil

A.new.test (should print nil or a warning) => [“k1”, “k2”, “k1”]

C.new.test (should print [‘k1’] ‘K1.C’) => [“k1”, “k2”, “k1”]
/at.rb:36: warning: instance variable @k1 not initialized
nil

Any suggestion or idea?

One way is to define them as instance methods of class Module.

09:36:59 [~]: irb
irb(main):001:0> class Module
irb(main):002:1> def foo(sym)
irb(main):003:2> define_method(sym) {|*a| p a}
irb(main):004:2> end
irb(main):005:1> end
=> nil
irb(main):006:0> class Foo
irb(main):007:1> foo :bar
irb(main):008:1> end
=> #Proc:0x04aa36d0@:3(irb)
irb(main):009:0> Foo.new.bar 1,2,3
[1, 2, 3]
=> nil

Then you can use them in the complete class hierarchy. If you want only
part of the class hiearchy of classes to be able to use them, you should
define them as instance methods of the starting class’s singleton class:

09:38:02 [~]: irb
irb(main):001:0> class Foo
irb(main):002:1> class << self
irb(main):003:2> def foo(sym)
irb(main):004:3> define_method(sym) {|*a| p a}
irb(main):005:3> end
irb(main):006:2> end
irb(main):007:1> end
=> nil
irb(main):008:0> class Bar < Foo
irb(main):009:1> foo :bar
irb(main):010:1> end
=> #Proc:0x04aa6bc8@:4(irb)
irb(main):011:0> Bar.new.bar
[]
=> nil
irb(main):012:0> Bar.new.bar 1,2,3
[1, 2, 3]
=> nil

Kind regards

robert