From: "David A. Black" <dblack@...>
Date: 2005-01-16T23:09:19+09:00
Subject: Re: Fwd: [suby-ruby] Your all time desired fundemental Ruby mod

Hi --

On Sun, 16 Jan 2005, trans.  (T. Onoma) wrote:

> On Sunday 16 January 2005 07:35 am, David A. Black wrote:
> | Hi --
> |
> | On Sun, 16 Jan 2005, trans.  (T. Onoma) wrote:
> | > I'm taking a little poll.
> | >
> | > Let say you're Matz, but without any of the pressures of keeping up with
> | > a previous version of Ruby. What one thing above all others would you
> | > like to see differ about Ruby?
> |
> | I would be happy to see class variables (@@var) disappear.  But I
> | don't like the idea of class_attr_reader and things like that.  Just
> | use the existing attr_* methods, which Class objects already have just
> | as much access to as other objects.  If a Class object needs its own
> | state, let it keep its own state.  If it wants other objects to have
> | access to it, let it give them access.
>
> But @@vars cut upwardly across the class hierarchy, which is a bit different.
> Is that right? Please correct me if I'm wrong.

You're right -- I meant to clarify that I'm talking about 2.0 class
vars, which as I understand it will be truly per-class and will differ
from instance variables of Class objects principally in that they will
be in scope in instance methods.  I would rather not have a separate
construct that overlaps so much with instance variables.

As for the current way class variables work... I'm not convinced that
would be a big loss either.  I've seen class variables arise as a
source of confusion over and over again -- and while I don't mind
there being things that have to be explained and that take a bit of
study to grasp, the weight of experience suggests to me that there's
room for refinement in this area.  My chosen method of refinement
would be to eliminate them :-)


David

-- 
David A. Black
dblack@wobblini.net