From: Jeffrey Moss <jeff@...>
Date: 2005-04-19T01:42:41+09:00
Subject: Re: [ANN] Article: Seeing Metaclasses Clearly

_why,

Nice tutorial, I found I learned something from it. I know there is a 
chapter in the pickaxe that attempts to explain this, but this seems to be 
the best (only?) freely available explanation.

Being somewhat new to the concept of metaprogramming, I can tell you what is 
particularly confusing is the use of class << self, how this is like the 
root of all singleton behavior, how it differs from class a < b (perhaps 
even display how it works inside the interpreter). I wasn't sure what the 
difference between the < and the << operator was, so I had to go look it up.

Also the difference between class instance variables and class variables 
could use some extra explaining, it seems you're just saying what to do and 
what not to do, but not why you can't or shouldn't do it, and why a @@ class 
variable is handy.

Thanks,

-Jeff

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "why the lucky stiff" <ruby-talk@whytheluckystiff.net>
To: "ruby-talk ML" <ruby-talk@ruby-lang.org>
Sent: Monday, April 18, 2005 12:50 AM
Subject: [ANN] Article: Seeing Metaclasses Clearly


> I've written a very nuts+bolts article on metaclasses (aka virtual classes 
> or metaobjects), since they still lurk under a shroud of fear and enigma.
>
> <http://whytheluckystiff.net/articles/seeingMetaclassesClearly.html>
>
> I'm hoping this will help uncover the truth.  If anything is unclear, 
> please report it.  Shed a light.
>
> Sharkin',
>
> _why
>
>