From: David Fayram <kirindave@...>
Date: 2003-08-06T23:39:02+09:00
Subject: Re: Class variables, module inclusion and instance_eval

On Wednesday, August 6, 2003, at 6:41 AM, Tim Bates wrote:
> Okay, this works. My immediate question is, why? That's not quite POLS.
> I started out using the block form, because the stuff I was doing in it
> wasn't dynamic. But as soon as I want to start substituting variables
> into it, I'm going to be using the string form - and suddenly the
> semantics of my code changes. What gives?

Unless I'm mistaken, it's because, when you use the string form, you're 
delaying
interpretation until the call, unlike the other way that interprets 
during declaration.
When you interpret during the declaration of the class, you associate 
the scope
of your variables with that class. This makes sense, more-or-less... 
variables
are scoped where they are found.

Evaluated strings don't have this attribute attached to them, it 
doesn't make sense
to give a scope to the variables inside the string, until they're 
actually executed, then
they should be associated where they land.

Maybe it's because I've been playing with Ruby a lot lately, and look 
at the new
interpreter's guts a lot of late, but I find that situation to contain 
a minimal amount
of surprise. I expect declared variables to be scoped where they fall.

---
Dave Fayram
   kirindave@lensmen.net
   dfayra00@umail.ucsb.edu
Developer / Idealist
---