From: Eric Christopherson <echristopherson@...>
Date: 2012-08-17T01:53:24+09:00
Subject: Re: Methods with same name and parameters in a single class.

On Thu, Aug 16, 2012 at 11:06 AM, Rubyist Rohit <lists@ruby-forum.com> wrote:
> I saw a sample code of Ruby where in a class can have two methods with
> the same name and same set of parameters:
>
> For example:
>
> class method_versions
>   def method
>       puts "first"
>   end
>
>   def method
>       puts "second"
>   end
> end
>
> On executing: method_versions.new.method
> it returns: second
>
> Just in case I want to return the older version of the method, what
> could be done?

Any time a method is defined, it overrides any previous definition of
a method by that name (regardless of the argument list of either
definition). The only way to access the previous definition is to
first save it in an alias:

class Method_versions
  def method
      puts "first"
  end

  alias :old_method method

  def method
      puts "second"
  end
end

mv = Method_versions.new
mv.old_method
mv.method