From: Gregory Seidman <gsslist+ruby@...>
Date: 2006-05-02T01:59:59+09:00
Subject: class methods and protected instance methods

I would have thought that a class method context would be able to call
protected methods on an instance of that class. That does not seem to be
the case:

class Foo
  def self.create_with_magic
    newfoo = new()
    newfoo.init_magic
    return newfoo
  end

  def initialize
    # no magic here
  end

  protected

  def init_magic
    # something magical
  end
end

foo = Foo.create_with_magic #this will raise an exception

Is this just an oversight? A bug? Is there a rationale for it that I'm not
seeing? I'm not looking for a workaround; I've already found a better way
of doing what brought this to my attention. I am just looking for an
explanation.

--Greg