From: James Britt <james.britt@...>
Date: 2006-07-19T02:36:20+09:00
Subject: Re: Preferred monkeypatching technique

Hal Fulton wrote:
> dblack@wobblini.net wrote:
> 
>>
>> I don't know whether it qualifies as "monkeypatching" (I always
>> thought that meant doing something sloppy and ill-advised, which I
>> hope I'm not :-) but see if this helps:
> 
> 
> Actually it was only last week that I first saw this term
> being used in the Ruby community. I wonder if it's too
> late to squash it?

Let's hope not.

I believe it comes from the Python community. Python (I think) allows 
for something similar to Ruby's ability to modify any and all classes, 
but my (limited) understanding is that there are enough differences 
between the two that what is reasonable and proper in Ruby is not quite 
so elegant or appropriate in Python.  The term may be correct for 
Python, but in Ruby this is just a normal and correct way to use the 
language.


The use of the term indicates unease with, and lack of understanding of, 
Ruby on the part of the speaker, rather than describing anything about Ruby.

-- 
James Britt

"In physics the truth is rarely perfectly clear, and that is certainly
  universally the case in human affairs. Hence, what is not surrounded by
  uncertainty cannot be the truth."
  - R. Feynman