From: Paul McMahon <pm@...>
Date: 2008-06-11T15:26:46+09:00
Subject: Re: accessing class variables from the outside (beginner question)

> if you want a variable available to all instances that says how many
> instances exist.  If you want to create an ID that increments with
> each instance. If you are storing a path that may change, but all
> instances will use it.  If you want to update scaling criteria on
> several objects at once, having a class variable set to twips, pixels,
> or inches could be just the right tool.  And on and on and on......

Perhaps I wasn't clear enough.  As far as I know, you can accomplish all
that using class level instance variables.  For example, consider the
following code:

class ClassLevelVariables
  @instance_count = 0
  class << self
    attr_accessor :instance_count
  end

  def initialize
    ClassLevelVariables.instance_count += 1
  end
end

class ClassVariables
  @@instance_count = 0
  class << self
    def instance_count
      @@instance_count
    end
  end

  def initialize
    @@instance_count += 1
  end
end

[ClassLevelVariables, ClassVariables].each do |klass|
  puts klass.instance_count
  klass.new
  puts klass.instance_count
end

The code is almost equivalent, and I was just wondering when one style
is prefered over the other.