From: Robert Klemme <shortcutter@...>
Date: 2012-09-01T21:02:57+09:00
Subject: Re: Constructor or a Method

On Sat, Sep 1, 2012 at 1:59 PM, Rubyist Rohit <lists@ruby-forum.com> wrote:
>> Note that both the method definitions are useless here, as using
>> attr_accessor
>> already creates two methods doing exactly what your hand-written methods
>> do.
>>
>> Stefano
>
> @Stefano;
>
> What if I use 'attr_reader' instead of 'attr_accessor'?

You only get method #name and not also #name=.

Btw, you can easily try these things out in IRB:

irb(main):007:0> class Customer; attr_accessor :name; end
=> nil
irb(main):008:0> c = Customer.new
=> #<Customer:0x2029f5c0>
irb(main):009:0> c.name = "foo"
=> "foo"
irb(main):010:0> c.name
=> "foo"
irb(main):011:0> class C2; attr_reader :name; end
=> nil
irb(main):012:0> c = C2.new
=> #<C2:0x202a2914>
irb(main):013:0> c.name = "foo"
NoMethodError: undefined method `name=' for #<C2:0x202a2914>
        from (irb):13
        from /usr/local/bin/irb19:12:in `<main>'
irb(main):014:0> c.name
=> nil

Kind regards

robert

-- 
remember.guy do |as, often| as.you_can - without end
http://blog.rubybestpractices.com/