From: Massimiliano Mirra Date: 2002-08-13T06:46:36+09:00 Subject: Re: ambiguity between local variable assignment and writter method [On calling setter from inside the class] Consider this: class HalfDouble attr_reader :double, :half def double=(val) @double = val @half = @double / 2 end def half=(val) @half = val @double = @half / 2 end end hd = HalfDouble.new hd.double = 4 p hd.half p hd.double Then try to replace @double= with self.double= and @half= with self.half= and see what happens... Maybe I'm just being naive, but even though a one uses tongue to translate his thought for the outside world, and ears to translate what comes from the outside world into thought, I see nothing wrong in using just thought for internal communication. In other words, to me, using setters from inside the class seems a lot like talking to oneself. :-) Massimiliano