class Module # Provides a delegate class method to easily expose contained objects' methods # as your own. Pass one or more methods (specified as symbols or strings) # and the name of the target object as the final :to option (also a symbol # or string). At least one method and the :to option are required. # # Delegation is particularly useful with Active Record associations: # # class Greeter < ActiveRecord::Base # def hello() "hello" end # def goodbye() "goodbye" end # end # # class Foo < ActiveRecord::Base # belongs_to :greeter # delegate :hello, :to => :greeter # end # # Foo.new.hello # => "hello" # Foo.new.goodbye # => NoMethodError: undefined method `goodbye' for # # # Multiple delegates to the same target are allowed: # class Foo < ActiveRecord::Base # belongs_to :greeter # delegate :hello, :goodbye, :to => :greeter # end # # Foo.new.goodbye # => "goodbye" # # Methods can be delegated to instance variables, class variables, or constants # by providing the variable as a symbol: # class Foo # CONSTANT_ARRAY = [0,1,2,3] # @@class_array = [4,5,6,7] # # def initialize # @instance_array = [8,9,10,11] # end # delegate :sum, :to => :CONSTANT_ARRAY # delegate :min, :to => :@@class_array # delegate :max, :to => :@instance_array # end # # Foo.new.sum # => 6 # Foo.new.min # => 4 # Foo.new.max # => 11 # def delegate(*methods) options = methods.pop unless options.is_a?(Hash) && to = options[:to] raise ArgumentError, "Delegation needs a target. Supply an options hash with a :to key as the last argument (e.g. delegate :hello, :to => :greeter)." end methods.each do |method| module_eval(<<-EOS, "(__DELEGATION__)", 1) def #{method}(*args, &block) #{to}.__send__(#{method.inspect}, *args, &block) end EOS end end end