From: Mark Hubbart <discordantus@...>
Date: 2005-05-05T01:17:55+09:00
Subject: Re: Bug or on purpose?

On 5/4/05, Robert Klemme <bob.news@gmx.net> wrote:
> Joao Pedrosa wrote:
> > Hi,
> >
> > dewd@heaven:~ $ ruby -v
> > ruby 1.9.0 (2005-05-01) [i686-linux]
> > dewd@heaven:~ $ irb
> > irb(main):001:0> def opa s
> > irb(main):002:1> 'z'
> > irb(main):003:1> end
> > => nil
> > irb(main):004:0> opa 'kct'
> > => "z"
> > irb(main):005:0> opa = opa('kct')
> > NoMethodError: undefined method `call' for nil:NilClass
> >         from (irb):5
> > irb(main):006:0> exit
> > dewd@heaven:~ $
> >
> > I tested it on Windows and on Linux with Ruby CVS-HEAD:
> > dewd@heaven:~ $ ruby -v
> > ruby 1.9.0 (2005-05-01) [i686-linux]
> >
> > Is it on purpose? Because it breaks some code in at least a lib that I
> > know of (in rakewx.rb from wxRuby).
> 
> Dunno...
> 
> Additional note: 1.8.2 doesn't show this behavior.  But: never trust IRB
> when it comes to local variables.  Did you also try that in a script or
> with ruby -e '...'?

This looks like it may be the result of a bug in the new proc calling
feature. If I understand correctly, it translates foo(something) into
foo.call(something) where foo is a local variable. And since "opa"
becomes a local variable in that line, it tries to call it, and finds
it to be nil. I think.

cheers,
Mark