From: David Alan Black <dblack@...>
Date: 2001-08-11T23:09:37+09:00
Subject: [ruby-talk:19528] Re: the way class variables work

Hello --

On Sat, 11 Aug 2001 jweirich@one.net wrote:

> In Smalltalk, there are two kinds of "class" variables.  There are
> class variables which work the way Ruby class variables work (shared
> across an inheritance hierarchy).  But there are also class *instance*
> variables which are unique to the individual class object (instance)
> where they are defined.
>
> It turns out that both types of class variables are supported in Ruby
> as well...

...

> Class variable mimic "static" variables in Java or C++.  Class
> instance variables are instance variables in the class object.
>
> I hope this helps.

Yes, it does, along with some of the other responses and some irc
remarks by matju and others.  At least, I'm cured of wanting class
variables to behave like class instance variables, since those already
exist :-)

But I'm still baffled, maybe more than ever, by the "why", that is,
why class variables exist at all in Ruby.  No one seems to have
anything good to say about them.  They seem to operate as a kind of
not-quite-global global.  They introduce weird, backwards
dependencies.  They come to your house at night, ring the doorbell,
and run away.  They....  [Cut to shot of David cowering in corner]


David

-- 
David Alan Black
home: dblack@candle.superlink.net
work: blackdav@shu.edu
Web:  http://pirate.shu.edu/~blackdav