From: "T. Onoma" <transami@...>
Date: 2004-08-23T07:42:03+09:00
Subject: Re: Callback for instance var creation?

On Sunday 22 August 2004 06:15 pm, Florian Gross wrote:
> T. Onoma wrote:
> > Calling method(:ameth) doesn't work because it creates a new method
> > object everytime and therefore looses state. Plus it is overly verbose.
>
> Oh, a cache could be added easily. Can't do anything about the verbosity
> however.

Yes, perhaps I will add a cache to method. Then I'll have three working 
implementations of this:

  1. method(:ameth)  # per above
  2. :ameth[self]    # modifies symbol class
  3. Ameth()         # using missing_method and capitalization

The later is of course a take-off of the constant version (non-implementable) 
but in this case you have to use the parentheses. All of these, obviously, 
have their disadvantages.

I think probably the best way to actually do this is to change how :: works. 

Currently it works like this:

    Foo.Bar()   # method call
    Foo.Bar     # method call
    Foo.bar()   # method call
    Foo.bar     # method call
    Foo::Bar()  # method call
    Foo::Bar    # constant lookup
    Foo::bar()  # method call
    Foo::bar    # method call
  
I suggest this instead:

    Foo.Bar()   # method call
    Foo.Bar     # method call
    Foo.bar()   # method call
    Foo.bar     # method call
    Foo::Bar()  # method call
    Foo::Bar    # constant lookup
    Foo::bar()  # method call
    Foo::bar    # 1st class method

The only shortcoming here is that capitalized methods can't be accessed this 
way b/c they interfere with constants. But that's very very minor point. With 
this in place you could easily access 1st class methods like this:

  ::ameth

--
T.