From: Ron Jeffries <ronjeffries@...>
Date: 2002-03-17T10:58:25+09:00
Subject: Re: Could we subclass this way?

On 16 Mar 2002 14:30:35 -0800, hubert@cs.nyu.edu (Hubert Hung-Hsien Chang)
wrote:

>I would like to have @vampire_tricks, @ghost_tricks respectively.
>But I wuld still like to use the Monster's methods. And both
>@vampire_tricks and @ghost_tricks will refect the value
>of @tricks from "Monster"
>
>
>I haven't successfully done it easily. Any way out?

I'm not sure what you're trying to do, but if you go ahead and define the
variables separately, and implement an accessor method in each class:

class Monster
  def tricks
    return @tricks
  end
end

class Vampire < Monster
  def tricks
    return @vampire_tricks
  end
end

and so on, that might get you along the way.

If all monsters of a given class have the same kind of tricks, the tricks might
want to be class variables instead of instance variables.

and if there can be instances of Monster as well as Vampire and Ghost, it might
be better to create an "abstract superclass" to serve as the superclass of all
three.

Good luck, and lock your door before going to sleep.

Ronald E Jeffries
http://www.XProgramming.com
http://www.objectmentor.com
I'm giving the best advice I have. You get to decide whether it's true for you.