From: dblack@... Date: 2006-08-12T03:44:40+09:00 Subject: Re: Defining Eigenclass Hi -- On Sat, 12 Aug 2006, Chad Perrin wrote: > On Sat, Aug 12, 2006 at 02:19:29AM +0900, ts wrote: >>>>>>> "T" == Tom Werner writes: >> >> >> T> Also, see the "nonce" thread going right now for others struggling with >> T> the less-than-stellarness of the currently used "singleton class". >> >> This is the same thread, made by someone which has always had problems >> with this term ... > > Funny . . . I've seen several people suggesting other names for it, > including David Black's "own class" recommendation (which predates > "eigenclass" as a suggestion). The history of it, as I recall it, is that Matz doesn't want to implement RCR 231 (http://www.rcrchive.net/rcr/show/231), unless and until he comes up with what he considers the perfect name. Then there's the "What does Matz have to do with it?", fait-accompli campaign for eigenclass :-) And various other branchings off, generalizations of "metaclass", and so on -- so that, unfortunately, the singleton class is now most commonly known as something like: this thing that doesn't really have a name and is known sometimes as singleton class, but also as eigenclass, or metaclass, or something-else-class -- and it's really, really confusing and hard to understand.... David -- http://www.rubypowerandlight.com => Ruby/Rails training & consultancy ----> SEE SPECIAL DEAL FOR RUBY/RAILS USERS GROUPS! <----- http://dablog.rubypal.com => D[avid ]A[. ]B[lack's][ Web]log http://www.manning.com/black => book, Ruby for Rails http://www.rubycentral.org => Ruby Central, Inc.