From: ptkwt@...1.aracnet.com (Phil Tomson)
Date: 2003-06-20T10:10:49+09:00
Subject: Re: class X;  class << X        : what is this idiom ?

In article <a6e48b6b.0306181426.62e8d934@posting.google.com>,
you CAN teach an old dog ... <itsme213@hotmail.com> wrote:
>I have seen this idiom quite a few times, and have not figured out
>what it does (looking at the pickaxe book). Could someone help
>enlighten me?
>
>[My guess is that it creates a customized meta-class that X is an
>instance of; am I guessing right?]

I think that's a pretty close guess...

Here's a section from the Rubygarden Wiki:
http://www.rubygarden.org/ruby?FunnySymbolsInCode

 "<<" also creates a new class based on a particular object.
        These object-specific classes are called 'singleton classes'.
        In the example below, only the Car object referred to by
        "camaro" will have the method "has_flames?".

             camaro = Car.new
             class << camaro
               def has_flames?
                 true
               end
             end


See also TheScaryDoor on the wiki:
http://www.rubygarden.org/ruby?TheScaryDoor

Phil