From: Gavin Sinclair <gsinclair@...>
Date: 2002-08-13T23:40:01+09:00
Subject: Re: ambiguity between local variable assignment and writter method

Very nice analogy!  And good example, too.


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Massimiliano Mirra" <list@chromatic-harp.com>


> [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