Class: Class
| Relationships & Source Files | |
| Inherits: | Object | 
| Defined in: | activesupport/lib/active_support/core_ext/class/attribute.rb, activesupport/lib/active_support/core_ext/class/subclasses.rb | 
Instance Method Summary
- 
    
      #class_attribute(*attrs)  
    
    Declare a class-level attribute whose value is inheritable by subclasses. 
- 
    
      #subclasses  
    
    Returns an array with the direct children of self.
Instance Method Details
#class_attribute(*attrs)
Declare a class-level attribute whose value is inheritable by subclasses. Subclasses can change their own value and it will not impact parent class.
Options
- 
:instance_reader- Sets the instance reader method (defaults to true).
- 
:instance_writer- Sets the instance writer method (defaults to true).
- 
:instance_accessor- Sets both instance methods (defaults to true).
- 
:instance_predicate- Sets a predicate method (defaults to true).
- 
:default- Sets a default value for the attribute (defaults to nil).
Examples
class Base
  class_attribute :setting
end
class Subclass < Base
end
Base.setting = true
Subclass.setting            # => true
Subclass.setting = false
Subclass.setting            # => false
Base.setting                # => trueIn the above case as long as Subclass does not assign a value to setting by performing Subclass.setting = something, Subclass.setting would read value assigned to parent class. Once Subclass assigns a value then the value assigned by Subclass would be returned.
This matches normal Ruby method inheritance: think of writing an attribute on a subclass as overriding the reader method. However, you need to be aware when using class_attribute with mutable structures as ::Array or ::Hash. In such cases, you don’t want to do changes in place. Instead use setters:
Base.setting = []
Base.setting                # => []
Subclass.setting            # => []
# Appending in child changes both parent and child because it is the same object:
Subclass.setting << :foo
Base.setting               # => [:foo]
Subclass.setting           # => [:foo]
# Use setters to not propagate changes:
Base.setting = []
Subclass.setting += [:foo]
Base.setting               # => []
Subclass.setting           # => [:foo]For convenience, an instance predicate method is defined as well. To skip it, pass instance_predicate: false.
Subclass.setting?       # => falseInstances may overwrite the class value in the same way:
Base.setting = true
object = Base.new
object.setting          # => true
object.setting = false
object.setting          # => false
Base.setting            # => trueTo opt out of the instance reader method, pass instance_reader: false.
object.setting          # => NoMethodError
object.setting?         # => NoMethodErrorTo opt out of the instance writer method, pass instance_writer: false.
object.setting = false  # => NoMethodErrorTo opt out of both instance methods, pass instance_accessor: false.
To set a default value for the attribute, pass default:, like so:
class_attribute :settings, default: {}# File 'activesupport/lib/active_support/core_ext/class/attribute.rb', line 87
def class_attribute(*attrs) = attrs. instance_reader = .fetch(:instance_accessor, true) && .fetch(:instance_reader, true) instance_writer = .fetch(:instance_accessor, true) && .fetch(:instance_writer, true) instance_predicate = .fetch(:instance_predicate, true) default_value = .fetch(:default, nil) attrs.each do |name| singleton_class.silence_redefinition_of_method(name) define_singleton_method(name) { nil } singleton_class.silence_redefinition_of_method("#{name}?") define_singleton_method("#{name}?") { !!public_send(name) } if instance_predicate ivar = "@#{name}" singleton_class.silence_redefinition_of_method("#{name}=") define_singleton_method("#{name}=") do |val| singleton_class.class_eval do redefine_method(name) { val } end if singleton_class? class_eval do redefine_method(name) do if instance_variable_defined? ivar instance_variable_get ivar else singleton_class.send name end end end end val end if instance_reader redefine_method(name) do if instance_variable_defined?(ivar) instance_variable_get ivar else self.class.public_send name end end redefine_method("#{name}?") { !!public_send(name) } if instance_predicate end if instance_writer redefine_method("#{name}=") do |val| instance_variable_set ivar, val end end unless default_value.nil? self.send("#{name}=", default_value) end end end
#subclasses
Returns an array with the direct children of self.
class Foo; end
class Bar < Foo; end
class Baz < Bar; end
Foo.subclasses # => [Bar]# File 'activesupport/lib/active_support/core_ext/class/subclasses.rb', line 47
def subclasses subclasses, chain = [], descendants chain.each do |k| subclasses << k unless chain.any? { |c| c > k } end subclasses end