From: Matt Armstrong <matt@...>
Date: 2002-12-24T02:23:15+09:00
Subject: Re: Calling super from some other method

dblack@candle.superlink.net writes:

>> Within B#method, I can call A#method with super.  But I can't
>> figure out how to do the same within B#other_method.  In C++, I'd
>> just statically qualify the class name in the source (A::method),
>> but I don't know how to do this in Ruby.
>
> Hmmm....  This sounds like one of the things in the "Mommy, where do
> methods come from?" thread.  If I'm right about that, here's a
> possibly relevant exchange between Chris Pine and Nobu:
>
> Chris:
>
>   Finally (and I'm sure I should know this one already), how would I
>   call Object#to_s on foo if I have already redefined to_s?  (Is
>   this even possible?)
>
> Nobu:
>
>   Impossible outside redefined to_s, unless it's aliased.
>
>
> I think the general principle is that you can't just call A#method,
> in the abstract; you have to send the message to a specific object,
> and since you've redefined the method, the object in question does
> something else when you send it that message.

Thanks, I figured as much.

With the notable exception of 'super', which seems to be a special
magic present because calling the superclass' version of a method is
sometimes convenient.  I haven't thought of a good design reason to
provide this only from the method of the same name in the subclass.

I ran into the limitation of 'super' when refactoring.  I had
redefined a method in a subclass but the subclass' implementation was
quite long.  I wanted to break it up into a few different methods, but
couldn't because it called super() in the middle of the logic.

I played games with alias to get around it, so no big deal.  It just
didn't seem as natural and easy as what I've come to expect from
Ruby.  ;-)