From: Eero Saynatkari <ruby-forum-reg@...>
Date: 2006-01-25T13:53:25+09:00
Subject: Re: Metaclass confusion

Vivek wrote:
> Hi,
> can someone explain this.
> 
> irb(main):013:0> Class.instance_methods
> => ["superclass", "new"]
> irb(main):014:0> Class.class
> => Class
> 
> I guess Class is an object(an instance of Class?)  but its of type
> Class. How can an object's type be an object itself.?

The traditional response is 'magick' :) While it is useful to
say that all instances are Objects and Object is an instance of
class Class which itself is an Object (the class of which is Class),
at some point there has to be a limit to how deep the recursion
goes. Because ruby is implemented in C, the language design allows
this kind of 'shortcutting'.

To be productive, you sort of just have to accept this and know the
implications of Class being an Object of Class and so on. You can
don some super-chromatic peril-sensitive sunglasses if you like :)

> Vivek


E

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