From: Ryan Davis <ryand-ruby@...>
Date: 2009-08-30T17:11:56+09:00
Subject: [ruby-core:25194] Re: [Feature #1961] Kernel#__dir__


On Aug 30, 2009, at 00:14 , NARUSE, Yui wrote:

> You should see solutions in the original post:
>> (1) add a toplevel constant __DIR__
>> pros: looks like __FILE__
>> cons: adding new keyword
>>
>> (2) add Kernel#__DIR__
>> pros: no new keyword
>> cons: it should have a lower-case name (like 1.9's __method__),
>> because it is not a constant but a method.
>>
>> (3) add Kernel#__dir__
>> pros: no new keyword, and it is clearer than (4) that it has
>> some associations with __FILE__.
>>
>> (4) make __FILE__ to the default argument of File.dirname
>> pros: no new keyword nor new method
>> cons: it is not clear that 'File.dirname' is expanded to
>> the path of directory of __FILE__.
>
> And you can add cons to (3) add Kernel#__dir__
> cons: lacking consistency for __FILE__
>
> I think so too and I like (1).

If we have to have this (I'm against it in general) then I think #1  
makes more sense wrt consistency. I don't see any real reason why it  
shouldn't be a parse-time constant like __FILE__ is and I think that  
is what most people would expect.