From: Joel VanderWerf <vjoel@...>
Date: 2006-02-08T14:08:32+09:00
Subject: Re: marshalling constants

Eric Hodel wrote:
> On Feb 7, 2006, at 3:59 PM, Joel VanderWerf wrote:
> 
>> Eric Hodel wrote:
>>
>>> Note that Ruby doesn't really have constants.  Instead it has frozen
>>> objects which aren't quite the same thing.
>>
>> I'm assuming the OP meant constant in the sense of binding, which ruby
>> does have.
> 
> Explain.  I don't see how this is true unless the name is not in scope.
> 

I'm trying to distinguish constant in the sense of

  the name "A1" in the scope of A is bound to <#A :0xb7befd40>, and
  this binding cannot change

from

  the object <#A :0xb7befd40> is frozen, and none of its ivars can be
  assigned

There's a ruby mechanism for each of these, so I guess the OP could have
meant either, but I was guessing the former. In that case, serializing
the constant's name may be helpful.

-- 
      vjoel : Joel VanderWerf : path berkeley edu : 510 665 3407