From: Yukihiro Matsumoto <matz@...>
Date: 2005-04-22T16:26:08+09:00
Subject: Re: [EVALUATION] - E03e - The Ruby Object Model (Summary)

Hi,

In message "Re: [EVALUATION] - E03e - The Ruby Object Model (Summary)"
    on Fri, 22 Apr 2005 14:24:35 +0900, Ilias Lazaridis <ilias@lazaridis.com> writes:

|ruby source-code, file "object.c"
|
|vs.
|
|"In Ruby, the Class class is the class of all classes, no metaclass."
|
|http://blade.nagaokaut.ac.jp/cgi-bin/scat.rb/ruby/ruby-talk/40537

The figure in "object.c" describes internal structure.  Each object
can have its per-object hidden class-like object, which we call
singleton class.  But you don't have to implement Ruby like that.
It's just for _my_ implementation.

On the other hand [ruby-talk:40537] describes the language model, or
specification, which does not necessarily have metaclass.  Classes are
no different from other objects.  They have singleton methods just
like other objects.  We often call singleton methods of classes as
"class methods" by tradition inherited from other languages.

If someone come up with better Class description, I'd love to update
the document.

							matz.