[LRUG] attr_accessor parsed as a method variable when setting with a get

[Max Williams]

self.configuration is also more readable, ie more obviously a method call.

On 21 September 2011 10:59, Graham Ashton <graham at effectif.com> wrote:

> On 21 Sep 2011, at 10:50, James Darling wrote:
>
> > I spent quite a while trying to isolate an issue yesterday. I've done so
> now, and worked around it, but now I'm interested in what's going on.
>
>   def do_a_thing
>    configuration = configuration + 1
>  end
>
> If you've got a method on self called configuration, assignment like this
> poses a problem for Ruby. There's no hint whether you meant to create a
> local variable called configuration (which is actually what the code says),
> or call the method.
>
> It therefore assumes you're assigning to a local variable.
>
> > It seems that on line 9, the second use of the configuration getter
> method call is being parsed as a method variable, which is nil as it isn't
> set.
>
> The configuration variable needs to refer to the same object wherever you
> refer to it within this scope, and it therefore both variables have to be
> local to the method.
>
> > Anyone come across this before? Any ideas why it happens? Is it fixable,
> or just an unfortunate byproduct of how ruby parses?
>
> Yep, it cost me an hour of debugging a couple of years ago, after which
> point it's never managed to bite me again.
>
> `self.configuration =` will sort it.
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