From: Phrogz <gavin@...>
Date: 2007-01-21T03:10:06+09:00
Subject: Re: attr_accessor weirdness, or something

CBlair1986 wrote:
>   def update_timer
>     timer = Time.now
>   end

Ruby can't tell if you mean:
a) Call the method named "timer=" and pass it the value of Time.now, or
b) Set the local variable named "timer" to the value of Time.now.

It chooses the latter interpretation, when you meant the former. To
help the interpretter out, write that as:
  self.timer = Time.now
instead. (This is slightly better, though slightly slower, than
directly accessing the instance variable, in case you alter want to
change what happens in your time= setter method.)