From: Peter Lane <peter.c.r.lane@...>
Date: 2011-12-09T21:39:44+09:00
Subject: Re: CONCEPT OF INSTANCE VARIABLE IN RUBY

Manav Gupta wrote in post #1035910:
> @x = 'Hello world'
>
> def printMe
>    puts @x
> end
>
> int the above code section when a call printMe method it behaves as
> expected. However if I remove the '@' symbol making x as a local
> variable it throws an undefined name error. which is also as expected.
> But can anyone explain me in the previous case, what is the class for
> @x.
>
> Please explain me in details

You can find the current object by calling 'self'.  If you open irb:

1.9.3p0 :001 > self
 => main
1.9.3p0 :002 > self.class
 => Object
1.9.3p0 :003 > self.instance_variables
 => [:@prompt]
1.9.3p0 :004 > @x = "hello"
 => "hello"
1.9.3p0 :005 > self.instance_variables
 => [:@prompt, :@x]

You can see @x becomes an instance variable of 'self', which is an 
instance of the class Object.

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