require 'active_support/core_ext/object/metaclass' require 'active_support/core_ext/module/delegation' class Class # Declare a class-level attribute whose value is inheritable and # overwritable by subclasses: # # class Base # class_attribute :setting # end # # class Subclass < Base # end # # Base.setting = true # Subclass.setting # => true # Subclass.setting = false # Subclass.setting # => false # Base.setting # => true # # This matches normal Ruby method inheritance: think of writing an attribute # on a subclass as overriding the reader method. # # For convenience, a query method is defined as well: # # Subclass.setting? # => false def class_attribute(*attrs) attrs.each do |attr| metaclass.send(:define_method, attr) { } metaclass.send(:define_method, "#{attr}?") { !!send(attr) } metaclass.send(:define_method, "#{attr}=") do |value| metaclass.send(:define_method, attr) { value } end end end end