From: Daniel Carrera <dcarrera@...>
Date: 2003-02-08T09:55:23+09:00
Subject: help overloading operators

I'm trying to overload Float#+, but I'm doing it wrong and it's breaking 
Float#+.  For example:

>> require 'complex'
=> true
>> 2 + Complex(1,1)    # -> works fine
=> Complex(3, 1)
>> require 'poly'      # -> breaks Float#+
=> true
>> 2 + Complex(1,1)    # -> broken
NoMethodError: undefined method `plus' for #<Complex:0x1aa2d0>
        from ./poly.rb:216:in `plus'
        from ./poly.rb:216:in `+'
        from (irb):4
        from :0
>>

This is the code I'm using:

class Float 
    alias plus  +
    def +(other)
      other.kind_of?(poly) ? other.+(self) : self.plus(other)
    end
end


I don't understand the error.  I defnined "plus" for Float, not for 
Complex.  Does anyone know how I should be overloading this operator?

Thanks a lot.

-- 
Daniel Carrera
Graduate Teaching Assistant.  Math Dept.
University of Maryland.  (301) 405-5137