From: Gregory Brown <gregory.t.brown@...>
Date: 2006-12-15T14:32:38+09:00
Subject: Re: Why is define_method private? Plus, what's the point of private methods?

On 12/14/06, Justin Collins <collinsj@seattleu.edu> wrote:

> About private methods...this is something that comes up every now and
> then. In my very humble opinion, private methods are just a polite way
> of separating the API methods from the methods expected to be used only
> by the object itself. No, it doesn't stop anyone from using them,
> really, but if you find yourself going against the intentions of the
> original programmer, you might stop a moment and think about why you are
> having to do that. Is it a poor API, or is there a better way to do what
> you are trying to do?

Very much agreed.  The number one use of private for me is to hide
some_very_long_named_and_probably_not_externally_useful_method()

I've always thought of it as a documentation and organizational thing,
not a security thing.