From: Austin Ziegler <Austin.Ziegler@...>
Date: 2004-06-04T05:37:13+09:00
Subject: Re: variable -- set value

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Angel Martin [mailto:angel@tyrex.mine.nu] 
> 
> El mar, 01-06-2004 a las 17:40, Mark Hubbart escribi�:
>> String#replace replaces the contents of the string with the
>> argument passed. But everything in ruby is done by reference, so
>> there is no clean way of doing what you are talking about that
>> works for every type. This is one of those things that really
>> bugged me at first, but I eventually liked; Not being able to do
>> tricks like that doesn't seem to hamper my code any, and leaves
>> it much easier to understand.
>>
>> I would recommend leaving the pointers to C and Perl :)
> IMHO, why not a generic replace for every class:

> 'Object#self=' class??

  foo   = "bar"
  f_foo = File.open(foo)
  foo.self = f_foo
    # Boom?
  foo   = 5
  foo2  = foo * 2
  foo.self = foo2
    # Boom!

The evilruby project has added #become capability -- of sorts, I
think.

The real trick is that Ruby variables aren't objects or memory
blocks, but labels for object references. Subtle, but important.
Once that is clear, a lot of false expectations will be cleared as
well.

-austin
--
austin ziegler * austin.ziegler@evault.com