From: Phillip Gawlowski <cmdjackryan@...>
Date: 2008-03-16T23:34:17+09:00
Subject: Re: argh! more undocumented mysteries: to_yaml

Tom Cloyd wrote:
> Documentation? WHAT documentation? Please read my email.
> 
> Also, replicate my example in irb - with any object you wish. (I tried 
> Array, Fixnum, Float - all raise the same error)
> 
> Finally, consider this statement from the general documentation for the 
> Class Object at http://www.ruby-doc.org/core/:
> "Object <http://www.ruby-doc.org/core/classes/Object.html> is the parent 
> class <http://www.ruby-doc.org/core/classes/Object.html#M000348> of all 
> classes in Ruby. Its methods 
> <http://www.ruby-doc.org/core/classes/Object.html#M000359> are therefore 
> available to all objects unless explicitly overridden."
> 
> My problem remains as I stated it.
> 
> Thanks for your response, in any case. I will hold out for the 
> possibility that with a little more examination you'll see what I have 
> so far missed - the reason for this problem.

You don't use the tools Ruby/irb gives you:
 >> Object.methods.sort
=> ["<", "<=", "<=>", "==", "===", "=~", ">", ">=", "__id__", 
"__send__", "allocate", "ancestors", "autoload", "autoload?", "class", 
"class_eval", "class_variable_defined?", "class_variables", "clone", 
"const_defined?", "const_get", "const_missing", "const_set", 
"constants", "display", "dup", "eql?", "equal?", "extend"
, "freeze", "frozen?", "hash", "id", "include?", "included_modules", 
"inspect","instance_eval", "instance_method", "instance_methods", 
"instance_of?", "instance_variable_defined?", "instance_variable_get", 
"instance_variable_set", "instance_variables", "is_a?", "kind_of?", 
"method", "method_defined?", "methods", "module_eval", "name", "new", 
"nil?", "object_id", "private_class_method", "private_instance_methods", 
"private_method_defined?", "private_methods", 
"protected_instance_methods", "protected_method_defined?", 
"protected_methods", "public_class_method", "public_instance_methods", 
"public_method_defined?", "public_methods", "respond_to?", "send", 
"singleton_methods", "superclass", "taint", "tainted?", "to_a", "to_s", 
"type", "untaint"]

As you can see, the method is not, by default, defined You already know 
that the documentation leaves some things desirable, so start using 
Google, or Ruby's capabilities of inspection, to narrow down your 
mistakes/errors and do some troubleshooting. You'll need these skills 
when writing applications, anyway.

And as an MS/MA you certainly learned research skills at college. If 
they've atrophied, now's a good chance to resurrect them, no?

-- Phillip Gawlowski