From: Joel VanderWerf <vjoel@...>
Date: 2002-09-29T06:12:51+09:00
Subject: Re: alias versus method_missing

Lyle Johnson wrote:
...
> understand why. But I was trying to figure out if there's an alternative
> that gets me what I really wanted (sort-of a "virtual alias").

It's a little less efficient, but this seems to be virtual:

   class Base
     def bar; foo; end
   end

There must be a way to use Class#inherited to good effect, but the 
following doesn't seem to work:

   class Base
     def self.inherited(sub)
       sub.class_eval {alias_method :bar, :foo}
     end
   end

   Derived.new.bar      # ==> inside Base#foo

However,

   Derived.class_eval {alias_method :bar, :foo}
   Derived.new.bar      # ==> inside Derived#foo

Anyone understand why? (I'm using 1.6.7, and maybe this would be 
different in a recent 1.7.)