From: timr Date: 2009-06-05T02:15:18+09:00 Subject: Re: private method calls...why can't you use self.priv_method syntax? Josh, thanks for the clarification. I guess I just have to accept the syntax for the private method calls. But it is hard for me to understand why calling a private method on its own--which has to look up self to use as a receiver, is any different than me just giving it the receiver of self. Either way the same object is being used as the receiver. So there must be something strange about the way private is implemented that makes it not ever take receivers, even if you give it the receiver that it is going to lookup and use. Okay, I can tell I am just grumbling about something that I should just accept. Sorry. Thanks again, Tim On Jun 4, 12:35 am, Joshua Ballanco wrote: > In Ruby, private means that the method cannot be called with an   > *explicit* receiver (that includes "self"). This is a bit different   > then languages like C++ and Java which use private/protected to   > control calling in inheritance chains. Remember, Ruby is all about the   > callers and receivers. If you leave off the "self." at the front, then   > self is *implicit* (which is allowed for private methods.