Missing constant and "const_missing" inside "class << self" definition - ruby

I'm greatly confused by Ruby's behavior when defining const_missing and other class methods inside a class << self definition as opposed to using the def self.foo syntax.
I was trying to do something like this:
class Foo
class << self
def foo
puts MISSING
end
def const_missing(name)
puts "#{name} missing"
end
end
end
Foo.foo
I mostly use the the class << self syntax to define class methods. However, it did not work as expected. const_missing is never called. The above results in a NameError.
Defining both methods like this works as expected:
def self.foo
puts MISSING
end
def self.const_missing(name)
puts "#{name} missing"
end
I thought that the class << self syntax is just another way to define class methods, but completely equivalent to def self.foo? I've tested the above with MRI 1.8.7, 1.9.2 and JRuby 1.5.6. So obviously I'm missing something here?
Any hint is greatly appreciated.
Thanks, Martin

class << self is not a shortcut to define class methods. This syntax (I don't know the exact naming) opens the eigenclass from a object (in your case, a class). With that you can define methods to the object (not instance methods). But when you call a constant into the eigenclass, you are calling a constant from the eigenclass, not from the class. In this case you have to define a class method on the eigenclass to the const_missing, two ways to do that:
class Test
class << self
def foo
p MISSING
end
# First way: (syntax sugar for the second way)
def self.const_missing(name)
name
end
# Second way:
class << self # eigenclass of the eigenclass of the class
def const_missing(name)
name
end
end
end
end
Test.foo #=> :MISSING

Related

How can "super" within a refinement call an overridden method?

I was under the impression that refinements fell outside the usual inheritance scheme in Ruby; that overriding a method within a refinement replaced the original method for all code using the refinement.
But then, I tried this experiment with super, and it appears that the overridden method gets called:
class MyClass
def my_instance_method
puts "MyClass#my_instance_method"
end
end
module MyRefinement
refine(MyClass) do
def my_instance_method
puts "MyClass#my_instance_method in MyRefinement"
super
end
end
end
using MyRefinement
MyClass.new.my_instance_method
The above code outputs:
MyClass#my_instance_method in MyRefinement
MyClass#my_instance_method
My question is, how? Is the refinement inserted into the class hierarchy in some way?
Based on the documentation, the method lookup for a refinement's built in behaviour is the same as you have observed.
Your assumption was correct that it is not typical inheritance, that can be seen by invoking superclass
class C
def foo
puts "C#foo"
end
end
module M
refine C do
def foo
puts "C#foo in M"
puts "class: #{self.class}"
puts "superclass: #{self.class.superclass}"
super
end
end
end
using M
x = C.new
x.foo
The output:
C#foo in M
class: C
superclass: Object
C#foo

Is it possible to define class methods within `class_eval`?

I know it's possible to define instance methods using class_eval. Is it possible to define class methods within the context of class_eval?
Yes, it is possible:
class Foo
end
Foo.class_eval do
def self.bar
puts "I'm a class method defined using class_eval and self"
end
def baz
puts "I'm an instance method defined using class_eval without self"
end
end
Foo.bar # => "I'm a class method defined using class_eval and self"
foo = Foo.new
foo.baz # => "I'm an instance method defined using class_eval without self"
As far as I can tell, this is because within class_eval, self is the Foo class, and doing def Foo.bar would create a class method.
Foo.class_eval do
...
end
is identical to:
class Foo
...
end
We need Module#class_eval to operate on a variable that holds the name of a class. For example, if:
klass = Foo
you can write:
klass.class_eval do
...
end
whereas the keyword class demands a constant.
Here class_eval does two things:
it changes self to the value of klass (Foo); and then it
"opens" the value of klass (Foo) in the same way the keyword class does.

Access Ruby 'self' methods inside 'class << self' method definitions

While watching this video I came across an interesting question posed by the presenter, Dave Thomas. He is talking about the syntax we see all the time in Ruby class method definitions:
class Foo
class << self
def bar
puts "inside class method"
end
def self.baz
puts "inside anonymous superclass method"
end
end
end
Of course, we can access Foo.bar, but how does one go about baz? Dave Thomas talks about the class << self syntax inserting an anonymous superclass into the hierarchy. I tried the following:
Calling Foo.superclass.bazdoesn't work because Foo.superclass is just Object.
I poked around the available methods of the ancestry hierarchy to no avail.
Test.class_eval 'self.self.baz'...now things are getting a little ridiculous.
Thoughts?
The problem is presented around 44:23 in the video.
At the end of the video, we are offered several answers to this question.
First, something pretty ugly. You can reopen the class:
class Foo
class << self
baz
end
end
And another way. Since class definitions are executed, you can return the inner self into a variable:
meta = class Foo
class << self
def self.baz
puts "inside anonymous superclass method"
end
self # return self here
end
end
meta.baz
Or, most elegantly you can open Class and add a method to it:
class Class
def meta
class << self
self
end
end
end
# class Foo ...
Foo.meta.baz
which turns out to be just a reimplementation of Object#singleton_class.

instance_eval vs class_eval in module

class Foo
include Module.new { class_eval "def lab; puts 'm' end" }
def lab
super
puts 'c'
end
end
Foo.new.lab #=> m c
========================================================================
class Foo
include Module.new { instance_eval "def lab; puts 'm' end" }
def lab
super
puts 'c'
end
end
Notice here I changed class_eval to instance_eval
Foo.new.lab rescue nil#=> no super class method lab
Foo.lab #=> undefined method lab for Foo class
So it seems that including the module neither defined an instance method nor a class method.
Any explanation what's going on here?
This code was tested on ruby 1.8.7 on mac.
First, think of what include does. it makes the instance methods of the module being included into instance methods on the including class. i.e. apart from the fact that your working example uses an anonymous module it is equivalent to:
module M1
def lab
puts 'm'
end
end
class Foo
include M1
def lab
super
puts 'c'
end
end
Next, think of what class_eval does. It evaluates the given code in the context of the class or module. i.e. it's exactly like you reopened the module and typed the code passed to class_eval. So MyModule = Module.new { class_eval "def lab; puts 'm' end" } is equivalent to
module MyModule
def lab
puts 'm'
end
end
Hopefully this explains the case that works.
When you use instance_eval you are evaluating the code within the context of the receiving object (in this case the instance of module) so MyMod2 = Module.new { instance_eval "def lab; puts 'm' end" } is equivalent to
module MyMod2
def MyMod2.lab
puts 'm'
end
end
i.e. it creates a module method which you'd call via MyMod2.lab and such methods are not added as instance methods by include.
Please note: this answer borrows a bit of its explanation from an answer I wrote to a previous question asking about instance_eval vs. class_eval relating to an example from The Ruby Programming Language book. You might find that answer helpful too.
including a module just takes the instance methods - you are looking for extend. luckily to get the best of both worlds, you can simply do:
module Something
def self.included(base)
base.extend ClassMethods
end
module ClassMethods
def blah
puts "lol"
end
end
end
class Test
include Something
end
irb:
>> Test.blah
lol
=> nil

Remove/undef a class method

You can dynamically define a class method for a class like so:
class Foo
end
bar = %q{def bar() "bar!" end}
Foo.instance_eval(bar)
But how do you do the opposite: remove/undefine a class method? I suspect Module's remove_method and undef_method methods might be able to be used for this purpose, but all of the examples I've seen after Googling for hours have been for removing/undefining instance methods, not class methods. Or perhaps there's a syntax you can pass to instance_eval to do this as well.
Thanks in advance.
class Foo
def self.bar
puts "bar"
end
end
Foo.bar # => bar
class <<Foo
undef_method :bar
end
# or
class Foo
singleton_class.undef_method :bar
end
Foo.bar # => undefined method `bar' for Foo:Class (NoMethodError)
When you define a class method like Foo.bar, Ruby puts it Foo's singleton class. Ruby can't put it in Foo, because then it would be an instance method. Ruby creates Foo's singleton class, sets the superclass of the singleton class to Foo's superclass, and then sets Foo's superclass to the singleton class:
Foo -------------> Foo(singleton class) -------------> Object
super def bar super
There are a few ways to access the singleton class:
class <<Foo,
Foo.singleton_class,
class Foo; class << self which is commonly use to define class methods.
Note that we used undef_method, we could have used remove_method. The former prevents any call to the method, and the latter only removes the current method, having a fallback to the super method if existing. See Module#undef_method for more information.
This also works for me (not sure if there are differences between undef and remove_method):
class Foo
end
Foo.instance_eval do
def color
"green"
end
end
Foo.color # => "green"
Foo.instance_eval { undef :color }
Foo.color # => NoMethodError: undefined method `color' for Foo:Class
You can remove a method in two easy ways. The drastic
Module#undef_method( )
removes all methods, including the inherited ones. The kinder
Module#remove_method( )
removes the method from the receiver, but it
leaves inherited methods alone.
See below 2 simple example -
Example 1 using undef_method
class A
def x
puts "x from A class"
end
end
class B < A
def x
puts "x from B Class"
end
undef_method :x
end
obj = B.new
obj.x
result -
main.rb:15:in
': undefined methodx' for # (NoMethodError)
Example 2 using remove_method
class A
def x
puts "x from A class"
end
end
class B < A
def x
puts "x from B Class"
end
remove_method :x
end
obj = B.new
obj.x
Result -
$ruby main.rb
x from A class
I guess I can't comment on Adrian's answer because I don't have enough cred, but his answer helped me.
What I found: undef seems to completely remove the method from existence, while remove_method removes it from that class, but it will still be defined on superclasses or other modules that have been extened on this class, etc.
If you would like to remove method with name what calculate dinamically, you should use eigenclasses like:
class Foo
def self.bar
puts "bar"
end
end
name_of_method_to_remove = :bar
eigenclass = class << Foo; self; end
eigenclass.class_eval do
remove_method name_of_method_to_remove
end
this way is better than others answers, becouse here i used class_eval with block. As you now block see current namespace, so you could use your variables to remove methods dinamically
Object.send(:remove_const, :Foo)

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