Difference between alias and alias_method

Difference between alias and alias_method - Ruby Forum:

On Dec 17, 11:12 pm, "jwmerr...@gmail.com" <jwmerr...@gmail.com> wrote: > Don't know exactly why, but wrapping alias in a class_eval seems to > fix the problem: > > class_eval("alias old_initialize initialize") > > Using ri, I couldn't even find who exactly alias belongs to (i.e. is > it defined in Kernel, Object, Module, or what, and is it a class > method of one of these?) Hopefully someone else can weigh in and > clear this up. This is because "alias" is not a method - it's a keyword (that trips me up every time I put a comma between the old and new method name, and the compiler complains). You can use "alias" in two contexts. You normally use it in a class definition to alias an instance method of the class. It's not enough that the class is "self" - you really must be inside the class definition. That's why this works: MyClass.class_eval{ alias :to_string :to_s } whil...

Full article: http://www.ruby-forum.com/topic/135598