From: noreply@...
Date: 2005-09-04T07:47:40+09:00
Subject: [ ruby-Bugs-2371 ] Lexic confusion: method/local variable distinction works strange

Bugs item #2371, was opened at 2005-09-04 00:40
You can respond by visiting: 
http://rubyforge.org/tracker/?func=detail&atid=1698&aid=2371&group_id=426

Category: Core
Group: None
Status: Open
Resolution: None
Priority: 3
Submitted By: Murphy (Kornelius Kalnbach) (murphy)
Assigned to: Nobody (None)
Summary: Lexic confusion: method/local variable distinction works strange

Initial Comment:
I know that Ruby keeps track of local variables while parsing, to allow simpler syntax. But I found a very surprising behaviour:

class Foo
  def bar sym
    p sym
  end
end

foo = Foo.new

bar = 308  # comment this out to make it work
foo.bar :test  # this fails: syntax error

foo_bar :test  # this is syntactically correct

I think it is easy to see that foo.bar is a method, and certainly in a different scope than the bar local variable. Is it possible to say the parser: x.y is always a method, so expect parameters, as you would if no local variable "bar" existed.

Changing this would probably break code; so if it is a bug, consider it a proposal for Ruby2.

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You can respond by visiting: 
http://rubyforge.org/tracker/?func=detail&atid=1698&aid=2371&group_id=426