I'm trying to use Ruby modules (mixins).
I have test.rb:
#!/usr/bin/env ruby
require_relative 'lib/mymodule'
class MyApp
include MyModule
self.hallo
end
and lib/mymodule.rb:
module MyModule
def hallo
puts "hallo"
end
end
Quite simple setup. But it does not work :( :
ruby test.rb
test.rb:8:in `<class:MyApp>': undefined method `hallo' for MyApp:Class (NoMethodError)
from test.rb:6:in `<main>'
Where is my error?
In short: you need to extend
instead of include
the module.
class MyApp
extend MyModule
self.hallo
end
include
provides instance methods for the class that mixes it in.
extend
provides class methods for the class that mixes it in.
Give this a read.
The issue is that you are calling hallo
in the class definition, while you add it as an instance method (include
).
So you could either use extend
(hallo
would become a class method):
module MyModule
def hallo
puts "hallo"
end
end
class MyApp
extend MyModule
self.hallo
end
Or either call hallo
in an instance of MyApp:
module MyModule
def hallo
puts "hallo"
end
end
class MyApp
include MyModule
end
an_instance = MyApp.new
an_instance.hallo
Your code is working - but including a module does not do what you think it does. The class including the module will not get the methods - the objects from this class will.
So this will work :
class MyApp
include MyModule
end
my_app_object = MyApp.new
my_app_object.hallo # => hallo
my_app_object is an object of class MyApp, which has a mixins of module MyModule. Take a look there for a complete explanation of modules and mixins.
class MyApp
class << self
include MyModule
end
self.hallo
end
is the same as
class MyApp
extend MyModule
self.hallo
end
extends just opens the class object and include the module methods. "hallo" becomes a class object aka. static method of class MyApp.
So "include" inject the methods to the instances of the receiver, in your case being "self" NOT to the object itself. "extend" inject the methods to the receiver in your case being "self".
self.include MyModule // inject the methods into the instances of self
self.extend MyModule // inject the methods into object self
At class level "self" will point to your class object which is MyApp.
Also remember that "include" and "extend" are just methods defined in module.rb.
"include" is a class object method (static-method) and "extend" is an instance method.