From: David Alan Black <dblack@...>
Date: 2002-08-05T06:49:48+09:00
Subject: Re: Detecting when an instance variable is created/set

Hi --

On Mon, 5 Aug 2002, Harry Ohlsen wrote:

> > > Unfortunately, for it to be useful to me, I'd specifically need it to
> > > work in initialize() as well.
> >
> > I don't know why it does not work in initialize (I assumed it would).
> > A dirty fix:
> >
> > module Initializer
> >   def initialize(*args)
> >     puts "Here I'll handle these variables: #{instance_variables.inspect}"
> >   end
> > end
> >
> > module MonitorVariables
> >   ...
> > end
> >
> > class Test
> >   def initialize(*args)
> >     @a = 1
> >     @b = 'world'
> >     super(*args)
> >   end
>
> What is that super() calling?  It seems to be the initialize() in Initializer,
> but I don't understand why.  I would have thought that it would be calling
> the one from perhaps Object (since Test doesn't specifically subclass
> anything else).

It is indeed the initialize in Initializer.  super basically looks for
a method of the same name as the one being executed, but starting the
search one link up in the method search chain.  Including a module (as
well as subclassing a class) adds to that chain.


David

-- 
David Alan Black
home: dblack@candle.superlink.net
work: blackdav@shu.edu
Web:  http://pirate.shu.edu/~blackdav