From: Paul Brannan <paul@...>
Date: 2002-01-16T00:07:50+09:00
Subject: Re: A possible class variable bug? - Re: a wishlist for ruby 2.0

On Tue, Jan 15, 2002 at 12:30:27PM +0900, Chr. Rippel wrote:
> Well following this logic it might make sense to (re)unfiy the concepts
> of class variables and global variables the ladder being class variables
> of the class Object.  A somewhat radical version would be the removal of
> class variables all together since it's possible to simulate the effect of
> class variables using only class instance variables and class accessory
> methods (since this has a "pythonish" touch to it surely won't fly;-)
> In cvs you get ...

I don't think this is safe.

1) It opens up access to the class's instance variables to the entire
world; class variables are available only to the class and its
descendants.

2) What happens when I define an accessor to instance variables in both
the derived class and the base class?  If Bar is a subclass of Foo, and
foo is the accessor to class variable, then I have the option of calling
(from an instance method):
  Foo.foo
  Bar.foo
  self.type.foo

Generally, a class should not have to know its name, but if I call
self.type.foo, then I get a different class variable depending on
whether I instantiated a Foo or a Bar.

Paul