From: Ben Bleything <ben@...>
Date: 2010-02-15T03:33:56+09:00
Subject: Re: toutf8

On Sun, Feb 14, 2010 at 9:58 AM, Raul Jara <raul.c.jara@gmail.com> wrote:
> The string class has a couple of methods listed in ruby-doc such as:
>
> String#toutf8 → string
>
> or
>
> String#tosjis → string
>
> That's diferent than how they list most of the other methods, e.g.:
>
> str.strip => new_str
>
> I'm afraid I have no idea how to call a method like toutf8.  I don't
> know what's up with # sign, either.  Anyone willing to explain this to a
> novice like me?

Sure :)

The hash notation is used to indicate an instance method.  In this
case, #toutf8 is a method that returns a string. The "str.strip =>
new_str" form is showing the same thing, but by way of example.  It's
just an inconsistency in the docs.

We use a hash to signify instance methods because you call class
methods with a .:

String.new
String#split

the first is referring to the 'new' method on class String, the second
is referring to the instance method 'split' on strings. So, to call a
method that is documented as Class#method, you would create an
instance of that class and then call it in the normal way.

In this case, you'd do:

  "some string goes here".toutf8

Ben