Get local variables of previous scope - ruby

Question

I am making a Ruby REPL to be used inside an application. I made code:
a = 1
b = 2
currentScope = []
Kernel.local_variables.each do |var|
currentScope << [var,Kernel.eval(var.to_s)]
end
launchREPL(currentScope)
Inside the REPL, I can execute the following code:
#a #=>1
#a+#b #=>3
Ideally I wouldn't have to write the four lines of code before I launch the REPL, and instead I would like to run them inside the launchREPL function. However this would require access to the previous scope from inside the launchREPL function.
Test1
Most notably I tried:
launchREPL(Kernel)
When I do the following:
def launchREPL(scope)
F = 0
puts scope.local_variables # => [:F]
end
it is apparent that this method is not valid.
Test2
launchREPL(Kernel.binding)
def launchREPL(scope)
Kernel.binding.local_variables #= Error: private method 'local_variables' called for #<Binding>
end
Is there any way to do what I'm trying to do?
Edit: P.S. This is currently the code inside launchREPL:
def launchREPL(scope=nil,winName="Ruby REPL")
# ICM RB file Begin:
puts "\"Starting REPL...\""
__b = binding #Evaluating in a binding, keeps track of local variables
__s = ""
###############################################################################
# SEND INSTANCE VARIABLES TO REPL
###############################################################################
#
#How to prepare scope
# currentScope = []
# Kernel.local_variables.each do |var|
# currentScope << [var,Kernel.eval(var.to_s)]
# end
# launchREPL(currentScope)
if scope != nil
scope.each do |varDef|
__b.instance_variable_set "##{varDef[0].to_s}" , varDef[1]
__b.eval("##{varDef[0].to_s} = __b.instance_variable_get(:##{varDef[0].to_s})")
end
end
# to get instance variables: __b.instance_variable_get(__b.instance_variables[0])
# or better: __b.instance_variable_get(:#pipe1)
#
###############################################################################
bStartup = true
while bStartup || __s != ""
# If startup required skip evaluation step
if !bStartup
#Evaluate command
begin
__ret = __s + "\n>" + __b.eval(__s).to_s
rescue
__ret = __s + "\n> Error: " + $!.to_s
end
puts __ret
else
#REPL is already running
bStartup = false
end
#Read user input & print previous output
__s = WSApplication.input_box(__ret,winName,"")
__s == nil ? __s = "" : nil
end
end

Answer 1

Although what you are trying to achieve is unclear and there are definitely many ways to do it properly, every ruby method might be called with Object#send approach:
def launchREPL(scope)
scope.send :local_variables #⇒ here you go
end
a = 42
launchREPL(binding).include?(:a)
#⇒ true
Sidenote: this is how your “4 lines” are usually written in ruby:
local_variables.map { |var| [var, eval(var.to_s)] }
And this is how they should be written (note Binding#local_variable_get):
local_variables.map { |var| [var, binding.local_variable_get(var)] }
The summing up:
def launchREPL(scope)
vars = scope.send(:local_variables).map do |var|
[var, scope.local_variable_get(var)]
end
# some other code
end
a = 42
launchREPL(binding).to_h[:a]
#⇒ 42

Answer 2

This won’t fit the comment, so I would post it as an answer.
def launchREPL(scope = nil, winName = "Ruby REPL")
puts '"Starting REPL..."'
scope.eval('local_variables').each do |var|
instance_variable_set "##{var}", scope.eval(var.to_s)
end if scope
s = ""
loop do
ret = begin
"#{s}\n> #{eval(s)}"
rescue => e
"#{s}\n> Error: #{e.message}"
end
puts ret
# s = WSApplication.input_box(ret, winName, "")
# break if s.empty?
s = "100 * #a" # remove this line and uncomment 2 above
end
end
a = 42
launchREPL(binding)
This is how your function should be written (I have just make it looking as ruby code.) The above works (currently it has no break at all, but you can see as it’s calculating 4200 infinitely.)