From: Eric Armstrong <Eric.Armstrong@...>
Date: 2006-08-01T03:49:06+09:00
Subject: I thought this was the one that worked?

#!/usr/bin/env ruby

repeat = 1

def run
   number_of_times = repeat
   number_of_times.downto(0) do
     puts number_of_times
     sleep 1
   end
end

run
----------------------------

Fails: undefined variable, "repeat"
        in first line of run method

I would have sworn that this was the
one that worked. I know that for a class
definition, the value of "repeat" isn't
known in an instance. That makes sense
to me (now).

But here, I'm in a script. I am continually
surprised by this behavior. In my mental
model, the run method is a "subsidiary"
context of the larger context, and as such
it should just "naturally" be aware of values
defined in the wider context.

Obviously, my mental model is way, way off,
which is why I keep getting surprised. Can
anyone enlighten me?

thanks
eric