From: Chris Shea <cmshea@...>
Date: 2008-09-28T08:34:23+09:00
Subject: Re: Variable name to string

On Sep 27, 4:50 pm, reuben doetsch <hjas...@gmail.com> wrote:
> [Note:  parts of this message were removed to make it a legal post.]
>
> I would like to get the name of the variable in string form, any way this is
> possible?
>
> var = 5
> puts var.foo  #Want this ti put var
>
> i looked into trying to do var.object_id.id2name but some reason this gave
> me nil, since if it is bugged or object_id is not returning the correct
> object id.
>
> Reuben

I don't think I quite understand why you need this.  But this does
what you're asking for (although, it's a little hacky).  See section
8.6 in The Ruby Programming Language by Flanagan and Matz for more.

cms@mvb cat t.rb
class Object
  def get_name
    line_number   = caller[0].split(':')[1].to_i
    line_exectued = File.readlines(__FILE__)[line_number-1]
    line_exectued.match(/(\S+)\.get_name/)[1]
  end
end

abracadabra = 3

puts abracadabra.get_name
cms@mvb ruby t.rb
abracadabra
[~]
cms@mvb


Although, since you're able, apparently, to ask for var.foo, I'd
suggest just putting var in quotes instead of appending '.foo'.

Chris