From: Brian Hartin <brian.hartin@...>
Date: 2009-04-30T00:30:04+09:00
Subject: Re: Why does attr_accessor in module require 'self.'?

The second and third posts have made it clear for me.  This is necessary 
to allow local variables with the same name as instance variables.  A 
contrasting example from a statically typed language makes this more 
clear (for me):

(Java)

public class Foo
  private int x;

  public void bar() {
    int x = 2;  // Very obviously a local variable
  }
end

Since Ruby variables are allocated on first use, and Ruby has no 
explicit variable declaration syntax, there would be no way to have a 
local variable 'x' if an instance variable '@x' existed:

class Foo
  attr_accessor :x

  def bar
    # If this were the same as self.x = 2, or @x = 2,
    # it would not be possible to have a local variable 'x'?
    x = 2
  end
end

Thanks much,

Brian Hartin
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