When do you use aliasing?

Question

Are you using an alias method to add more methods to call methods (e.g. length and size), or is there another use for this?

Answer 1

The alias_method call is also useful for reimplementing something, but preserving the original version. There is also alias_method_chain from Rails, which makes this even easier.

alias_method is also useful when you have several behaviors that are initially identical, but may diverge in the future, where you can at least start them.

def handle_default_situation
  nil
end

%w[ poll push foo ].each do |type|
  alias_method :"handle_#{type}_situation", :handle_default_situation
end

Answer 2

Yes.

It is often used to store the descriptor of existing methods before overriding them. (far-fetched example)

, :

class Foo
  def do_something
    puts "something"
  end
end

, :

class Foo
  def do_something_with_logging
    puts "started doing something"
    do_something_without_logging # call original implementation
    puts "stopped doing something"
  end

  alias_method :do_something_without_logging, :do_something
  alias_method :do_something, :do_something_with_logging
end

( alias_method_chain)

.

, alias_method - , ( - alias_method_chain)