From: Dave Burt <dave@...>
Date: 2005-05-28T11:25:19+09:00
Subject: Re: Difference between 'def self..' and module_function .

Hi "Nikolai Weibull" <mailing-lists.ruby-talk@rawuncut.elitemail.org>,

I think there are two differences:

#NW> I thought I new [sic.] the difference between writing
>> module A; def self.a; nil; end; end
=> nil
#NW> and
>> module B; def a; nil; end; module_function :a; end
=> B
#NW> But I just realized I don't.  Would someone mind explaining it to me?
>> A.private_instance_methods
=> []
>> B.private_instance_methods
=> ["a"]

The first, insignificant, difference is that module_function returns the 
module, so the result of the latter module definition is the module itself.

The second difference is that the latter case leaves a private instance 
method behind.

Cheers,
Dave