From: "Mehr, Assaph (Assaph)" <assaph@...>
Date: 2004-06-22T12:07:28+09:00
Subject: Re: A question about Class and Object

> Object.class is Class.
> Object is type of Class.

> I'm still confused with class and object and metaclass...

Try to think about it this way:
Object is a concept ("a thing")
Class is a concept ("a representation in ruby of realworld concepts")

In ruby, we use objects (things) of kind 'Class' to represent the
concepts. Thus the thingy 'Object' is of kind 'Class' and is used to
represent the concept of object. The thingy 'Class' is again of type
'Class' and is used to represent the ruby concept of a "concept that
represents the concept of 'concept'" (This makes it a meta-concept).

Thus in Ruby "Object" and "Class" are concept thingies, represented as
objects (thingies) of kind "Class". As for the number of methods, the
class-concept is a bit more specific than the generic "thingy" concept,
and therefore has an extra method.

I have probably confused you more. See the 'ruby object model"
presentation on "WhyRuby.rubyforge.org".

HTH,
Assaph