From: Devin Mullins <twifkak@...>
Date: 2006-01-03T04:48:17+09:00
Subject: Re: A question about Ruby main object

Antti Karanta wrote:

>  So what is the logic behind the "main" object? Is there a logical reason
>for the methods defined in its context to appear as private methods of
>class Object?
>  
>
To quote Guy Decoux:

> no, not really. ruby has self and *internally* ruby_class which give it
> where the method must be defined.
>
> For example :
>
>  * at top level it has : self = main, ruby_class = Object
>
>    when you define a method at top level this will be an Object method
>
>  * in the class A, it has : self = A, ruby_class = A
>
>    when you define a method in A, this will be an instance method for A
>
Now, I have a question for Guy:

Flagellate = Class.new {
  def banana_boat; puts 'hurrah!' end
}

makes banana_boat a method on Flagellate, which makes me think that 
methods go where self is.

However:

class FranklinRoosevelt
  def smooth_operator; def banana_boat; puts 'javohl!' end end
end
FranklinRoosevelt.new.smooth_operator

makes banana_boat a method on FranklinRoosevelt, which is either 
ruby_class or self.class, but not self.

What's goin' on? Is there another internal variable that determines 
where methods go, or am I confusing things? Are Class.new and class_eval 
just the exception to the rule that method definitions go on ruby_class? 
If so, how?

Devin