From: ahoward <ahoward@...>
Date: 2003-06-17T07:58:46+09:00
Subject: /^attr(?:_reader|_writer)*$/ - possible RCR?


does anyone else think that having attr_* keep track of the attributes might
be helpful?  i've done it by hand many times.  i'm thinking something like
this might be generally useful:

attr.rb
====CUT====
  class Module
  private
    alias_method :__attr_reader, :attr_reader
    alias_method :__attr_writer, :attr_writer
    alias_method :__attr, :attr
    def attr_reader(*symbols)
      __attr_reader *symbols
      (@reader_attributes ||= []).push *symbols
    end
    def attr_writer(*symbols)
      __attr_writer *symbols
      (@writer_attributes ||= []).push *symbols
    end
    def attr symbol, writable = false
      __attr symbol, writable
      (@reader_attributes ||= []).push symbol
      (@writer_attributes ||= []).push symbol if writable
    end
  public
    def attributes type = nil
      case type.to_s
        when %r/read|get/
          @reader_attributes.clone
        when %r/writ|set/
          @writer_attributes.clone
        else
          @reader_attributes | @writer_attributes
      end
    end
  end

  if $0 == __FILE__
    class Foo
      attr_reader :foo
      attr_writer :bar
      attr :foobar
      attr :barfoo, true
      def not_an_attribute; end
    end

    p Foo.attributes          # -> [:foo, :foobar, :barfoo, :bar]
    p Foo.attributes :reader  # -> [:foo, :foobar, :barfoo]
    p Foo.attributes :writer  # -> [:bar, :barfoo]
  end
====CUT====



here's an example where/why i've used it:

  class CannotMarshal < RBTree
    ...
    ...
    ...
    def _dump depth
      Marshal.dump {:data => to_hash, :attributes => class.attributes(:reader).sort.map{|a| send a}}
    end
    class << self
      def _load string
	cm = CannotMarshal.new
	loaded = Marshal.load string
	cm.update loaded[:data]
	cm.class.attributes(:writer).sort.map{|a| cm.send a, loaded[:attributes].shift}
	cm
      end
    end
  end

the above requires a writer for every reader, but you get the idea...

-a
--
  ====================================
  | Ara Howard
  | NOAA Forecast Systems Laboratory
  | Information and Technology Services
  | Data Systems Group
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  | ~ > ruby -e 'p(%.\x2d\x29..intern)'
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