Ruby Prototype

Note: Only works with Ruby 1.9+

In Javascript and other prototype languages you can add a function/method to an object like so:

obj.perform = function(){ ... stuff to do ...}

But in Ruby 1.8 there's always been a problem where a method defined with define_method won't be able to take a block. So you'd never be able to do something like this:

"my string".do_with_words = proc do |&block| self.split(' ').each do |word|

block.call(word)

end end

Because the "proc do |&block|" was unsupported syntax. And blocks never got passed automatically so block_given? would always return false.

But Ruby 1.9 allows the "proc do |&block|" syntax so we can now make Ruby to act as a (quasi) fully prototype language.

Usage

require 'rubygems'
require 'ruby_prototype'

@object.self_times_two = proc do
  self * 2
end

# The above is the exact same as this, more conventional, way:
def @object.self_times_two
  self * 2
end