i want to do the following:
I want to declare the instance variables of a class iterating over a dictionary.
Let's assume that i have this hash
hash = {"key1" => "value1","key2" => "value2","key3" => "value3"}
and i want to have each key as instance variable of a class. I want to know if i could declare the variables iterating over that hash. Something like this:
class MyClass
def initialize()
hash = {"key1" => "value1","key2" => "value2","key3" => "value3"}
hash.each do |k,v|
@k = v
end
end
end
I know this doesn't work! I only put this piece of code to see if you could understand what i want more clearly.
Thanks!
class MyClass
def initialize()
hash = {"key1" => "value1","key2" => "value2","key3" => "value3"}
hash.each do |k,v|
instance_variable_set("@#{k}",v)
# if you want accessors:
eigenclass = class<<self; self; end
eigenclass.class_eval do
attr_accessor k
end
end
end
end
The eigenclass is a special class belonging just to a single object, so methods defined there will be instance methods of that object but not belong to other instances of the object's normal class.
class MyClass
def initialize
# define a hash and then
hash.each do |k,v|
# attr_accessor k # optional
instance_variable_set(:"@#{k}", v)
end
end
end
Chuck's answer is better than my last two attempts. The eigenclass is not self.class
like I had thought; it took a better test than I had written to realize this.
Using my old code, I tested in the following manner and found that the class was indeed manipulated and not the instance:
a = MyClass.new :my_attr => 3
b = MyClass.new :my_other_attr => 4
puts "Common methods between a & b:"
c = (a.public_methods | b.public_methods).select { |v| a.respond_to?(v) && b.respond_to?(v) && !Object.respond_to?(v) }
c.each { |v| puts " #{v}" }
The output was:
Common methods between a & b:
my_other_attr=
my_attr
my_attr=
my_other_attr
This clearly disproves my presupposition. My apologies Chuck, you were right all along.
Older answer:
attr_accessor
only works when evaluated in a class definition, not the initialization of an instance. Therefore, the only method to directly do what you want is to use instance_eval
with a string:
class MyClass
def initialize(params)
#hash = {"key1" => "value1","key2" => "value2","key3" => "value3"}
params.each do |k,v|
instance_variable_set("@#{k}", v)
instance_eval %{
def #{k}
instance_variable_get("@#{k}")
end
def #{k}= (new_val)
instance_variable_set("@#{k}", new_val)
end
}
end
end
end
To test this try:
c = MyClass.new :my_var => 1
puts c.my_var
http://facets.rubyforge.org/apidoc/api/more/classes/OpenStructable.html
OpensStructable is a mixin module
which can provide OpenStruct behavior
to any class or object. OpenStructable
allows extention of data objects with
arbitrary attributes.