From: matz@...
Date: 2020-09-25T08:49:04+00:00
Subject: [ruby-core:100130] [Ruby master Feature#15504] Freeze all Range	objects

Issue #15504 has been updated by matz (Yukihiro Matsumoto).


I agree with making ranges frozen. I don't see any particular case that could be broken by frozen ranges.
Since there's possiblity of breakage, I'd like to experiment it.

Matz.


----------------------------------------
Feature #15504: Freeze all Range objects
https://bugs.ruby-lang.org/issues/15504#change-87700

* Author: ko1 (Koichi Sasada)
* Status: Open
* Priority: Normal
* Assignee: matz (Yukihiro Matsumoto)
----------------------------------------
# Abstract

Range is currently non-frozen. How about freezing all Range objects?

# Background

We froze some types of objects: Numerics (r47523) and Symbols [Feature #8906]. I believe that making objects immutable solves some kinds of programming difficulties.

`Range` is mutable at least when written as Range literal. So we can write the following weird program:

```ruby
2.times{
  r = (1..3)
  p r.instance_variable_get(:@foo)
  #=> 1st time: nil
  #=> 2nd time: :bar
  r.instance_variable_set(:@foo, :bar)
}
```

In `range.c`, there is a comment (thanks znz-san):

```c
static void
range_modify(VALUE range)
{
    rb_check_frozen(range);
    /* Ranges are immutable, so that they should be initialized only once. */
    if (RANGE_EXCL(range) != Qnil) {
	rb_name_err_raise("`initialize' called twice", range, ID2SYM(idInitialize));
    }
}
```

# Patch

```
Index: range.c
===================================================================
--- range.c	(��������������� 66699)
+++ range.c	(���������������)
@@ -45,6 +45,8 @@
     RANGE_SET_EXCL(range, exclude_end);
     RANGE_SET_BEG(range, beg);
     RANGE_SET_END(range, end);
+
+    rb_obj_freeze(range);
 }
 
 VALUE
```

# Discussion

There are several usages of mutable Range in the tests.

* (1) Taint-flag
* (2) Add singleton methods.
* (3) Subclass with mutable states

Maybe (2) and (3) are crucial.

Thanks,
Koichi



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