From: Daniel DeLorme <dan-ml@...42.com>
Date: 2006-07-25T23:26:03+09:00
Subject: Re: Defining a method with an argument with a default value

Daniel Schierbeck wrote:
> First of all, you don't need the `if value' part -- when Ruby sees 
> @value, it is immediately created, with the value nil

Sorry for being pedantic but this is not quite true (although in this
case it doesn't make a difference):

irb(main):001:0> @a = 1 if false
=> nil
irb(main):002:0> b = 2 if false
=> nil
irb(main):003:0> @c = nil
=> nil
irb(main):004:0> defined? @a
=> nil
irb(main):005:0> defined? b
=> "local-variable"
irb(main):006:0> defined? @c
=> "instance-variable"


Daniel