Re: Name resolution in Ruby

"Alan Stern" <[e-mail]> wrote in,
....
> This is currently under discussion in a separate thread.  I think a
> consensus is growing that class variables really ought to behave more
> like instance variables of the class itself, with appropriate accessor
> methods.

I wrote something to this affect but this was not quite what I mend.
The current class variable behavior is really very usefull but it is
possible to simulate this behavior with instance and/or local variables
and accessor methods. This has the added advantage of a more fine
tuned control of visibility (and no interpretation headaches). Here is
an example of a public ``class attribute" with a protected writer attribute
that is invisible on the meta level
----
class A
    var = "a"

    define_method(:var) { var }
    protected
    define_method(:var=) {|x| var = x }
end

p A.new.var  # => "a"

class B   < A 
   def initialize(x)
      self.var = x
   end
end

B.new(3)
p A.new.var  # => 3
class << A
    var   # raises a NameError exception
end
----

Since we already have an implementation of class variables there is
no point to get rid(t?)e of them (they are definitely faster;-).
However it is at least a theoretical possibility to for go their 
implementation in a rewrite like Rite.

>
....
> >  a class is just an object like any other objects.
>
> While largely true, that's not entirely correct.  Ordinary objects and
> classes differ in the way their metaclasses are created.  For
> instance, suppose that x is an ordinary object (not a class) and that
> C is a class.  Then C always has a metaclass -- it is created at the
> same time as C (I think) -- but x only has a metaclass if you create
> one explicitly.  Also, if C is a subclass of B, then Meta-C is a
> subclass of Meta-B.  This means that, although Meta-x's superclass is
> x's original class, Meta-C's superclass is not C's original class but
> instead is C's superclass's metaclass.

This is true but this is not relevant for scoping rules, in fact it is possbile
to define constants on the meta class level or more generally singleton
classes. I appended a script illustrating the Meta-class system (note the use
of class variables;-)

....
> > A> The overall effect is that constants behave as though they really do
> > A> have a static scope.
> >
> >  This is the intented use, I think.

Local scope is an illusion created by coding convention on top of Ruby's
static scope - but you can always should yourself in the foot;-)

----
A = Class.new
x = Class.new A
Sub = Class.new x
Sub.const_set :Super ,x

p Sub.ancestors      # => [Sub, Sub::Super, A, Object, Kernel]

class Sub
  class Super
    p Module.nesting # => [Sub::Super, Sub]
  end
end

Normal = x
class Normal
    # prevent creation of Sub::Super::Sub
    Sub = ::Sub
    class Sub
        p Module.nesting # => [Sub, Sub::Super]
    end
end
 
class A
    L = "A"
end

class Sub
    L = "Sub"
    class Super
        K = 1
        p L    # => "Sub"
    end
        remove_const :L
        p K   # => 1
    class Super
        p L   # => "B"
    end
end

class Binding
  def search_path
    nest = eval("Module.nesting",self)
    __self =eval("self",self)
    if __self.is_a? Module 
      nest.concat __self.ancestors.select {|m| not nest.include? m}
    else
      nest.concat __self.type.ancestors.select {|m| not nest.include? m}
    end
  end
end


class Sub
  class Super
     p binding.search_path
     # => [Sub::Super, Sub, A, Object, Kernel]
  end
end


# Search path is not transitive!

class A; 
   F = "A"
end
class B < A; end
class C < B; end

class C
  G = "visible in C::Z"
  p Module.constants - Object.constants
  # => ["F", "L"]
  class X;    end
  class Y < X;end
  class Z < Y
    p Module.constants - Object.constants
    # => ["G", "Z", "X", "Y"]
    p binding.search_path
    # => [C::Z, C, C::Y, C::X, Object, Kernel]
  end
end
----

/Christoph



----
# A meta class illustrations script 
class Class
  @@to_s  = nil
  @@level = nil
  attr_reader :inst
  def superclasses
    res = [self]
    tmp = self
    res.push tmp while tmp = tmp.superclass
    return res
  end
  def each_superclass
    klass = self
    yield klass
    yield klass while klass = klass.superclass
    self
  end
  def level
    @level || 0
  end
  def singleton?; true end
  alias :old_to_s :to_s
  private :old_to_s
  def to_s
    if singleton?
      if level.zero?
        (old_to_s.sub(/^(#<Class:)/){''})\
        .sub(/(>)$/){"_Sing(#{inst})"}
      else 
        @to_s
      end
    else
      old_to_s
    end
  end
  alias  :inspect :to_s
  protected  
  def __meta
    super
    @@to_s = to_s.concat '_Meta'
    @@level   = level + 1
    @meta.instance_eval do
      @to_s  = @@to_s
      @level = @@level
    end
    superclass.__meta if superclass
    if level.nonzero?
      def self.__meta; @meta end
    end
    return @meta
  end
end

class Object
  @@inst = nil
  class << self
     def singleton?; false end
     undef :inst
  end
  def meta(level = 1)
    return self if level.zero?
    return __meta.meta(level-1)
  end
  def singleton_type 
    class << self; self end
  end
  protected
  def __meta
    @meta = singleton_type
    @@inst = self
    @meta.instance_eval do
      @inst = @@inst
    end
    @meta
  end
end

class A;     end
class B < A; end

class C < B
  def initialize num
    @num = num
  end
  def inspect; @num.inspect end
  alias :to_s :inspect
end

def class_chain klass
  unless klass.level.zero? && klass.singleton?
    puts  klass.superclasses.join(" < ")
  else
    res = klass.superclasses
    puts res.shift.to_s.concat(" << ").concat(res.join(" < "))
  end
end

# Examples

class_chain C.meta
class_chain Class.meta
class_chain C.new({}).meta
class_chain Math::E.meta

puts "\n\"Higher\" order\n\n"

class_chain Object.meta(2) 
class_chain C.meta(2)
class_chain Math::PI.meta(2)
class_chain Module.meta(3)
class_chain C.meta(3)


n = 0
ObjectSpace.each_object(Class) do |klass| klass
  n+=1 if klass.singleton?
end
puts "\nNumber of Singletons controlled by GC == #{n}" 

----
C_Meta < B_Meta < A_Meta < Object_Meta < Class < Module < Object
Class_Meta < Module_Meta < Object_Meta < Class < Module < Object
C_Sing({}) << C < B < A < Object
Float_Sing(2.718281828) << Float < Numeric < Object

"Higher" order

Object_Meta_Meta < Class < Module < Object
C_Meta_Meta < Class < Module < Object
Float_Sing(3.141592654)_Meta < Class < Module < Object
Module_Meta_Meta_Meta < Class < Module < Object
C_Meta_Meta_Meta < Class < Module < Object

Number of Singletons controlled by GC == 0
----