From: Dave Thomas <Dave@...>
Date: 2001-05-04T23:33:41+09:00
Subject: [ruby-talk:14639] Re: access to $_ for methods we write

"Guy N. Hurst" <gnhurst@hurstlinks.com> writes:

> Hi,
> 
> I have tried this:
> 
> def foo(x=$_)
>   puts x
> end
> 
> $_ = "bar"
> foo($_)	# => bar
> foo	# => nil
> print	# => bar
> 
> Why is it that the #print method is allowed
> to have access to $_ as its default, but methods
> we write aren't? Or is there something I am missing?

Guy:

If you want the 'global' $_, you can always do:

   def foo(x=eval("$_", TOPLEVEL_BINDING))
     puts x
   end

However, this won't always emulate the behavior of (say) print.


Dave