From: gwtmp01@...
Date: 2007-01-20T05:37:38+09:00
Subject: Re: Minor Change Proposal for Classes 'Object' and 'Method'


On Jan 19, 2007, at 1:33 PM, Yukihiro Matsumoto wrote:
> Wolfgang's proposal can be divided into three methods.
>
>   #receiver that returns the bound object of the method object.
>   #name that returns the name of the method object.
>   and a method that returns the class which holds the method.
>
> Does anybody have good name candidate for the last one?  I have
> already implemented the first two methods in the local copy of the
> repository.

Method#receiver
Method#name
Method#origin           # module/class with definition of method

Kernel#origin(name)     # module/class where named method is found
			# via standard method lookup process on the
                         # receiver.
                         # nil if no matching method found

Kernel#origin!(name)    # same as origin but reports location of
                         # any matching method_missing implementation
                         # nil if no method_missing applies

Not sure about origin vs. origin! names but it seems reasonable
to be interested in whether method_missing is triggered or not.

I've often thought it might be nice to have a 'magic' reference
similar to 'self' that referenced a method object matching the
current receiver and method:

def factorial(n)
   return 1 if n.zero?
   myself[n-1] * n
end

So in that example, 'myself' would be an instance of Method bound
to the top-level object and the method Object#factorial.

Combined with the other proposed methods you get:

	myself.name	# => 'factorial'
	myself.receiver	# => main
	myself.origin	# => Object

Not sure about the 'myself' name, but I like the idea.

Gary Wright