From: Martin DeMello <martindemello@...>
Date: 2002-12-02T00:02:47+09:00
Subject: Re: Cipher book for ruby

Shannon Fang <xrfang@hotmail.com> wrote:
 
> After I learned that attr_reader is a method, and :name is a symbol, and
> :name is not linked to name, my classical word collapsed, and I entered
> a new world of modern ruby... Just like transition to the world of
> Newton to Einstein... :)

The following analogy might help: think of a string as a frame in which
several blocks of movable type are set, and a symbol as a single block
of metal, engraved with a complete word, and given a serial number which
is stored in a large list of serial numbers indexed by name, so you can
find it quickly.

martin