Ruby class is called method

Question

Is there a way to define a class so that you can name that class as a method to execute your desired code? For example (doesn't work):

class MySpecialClass
  def self(x)
    x*x
  end
end

In the console:

MySpecialClass(4)
=> 16
MySpecialClass(5)
=> 25

I can't find anything on this online, however some Ruby classes (2.1.2) seem to have similar behavior, eg. String

:

String("hello")
=> "hello"
String(3)
=> "3"

Note that this is not the same behavior as a class method String#new

:

String.new (3)
TypeError: no implicit conversion of Fixnum into String

+3

eirikir Dec 21 14 at 1:47

1 answer

August · Accepted Answer · 2014-12-21T01:55:01+0000

All you have to do is define a method with the same name as the class:

def MySpecialClass(x)
  x * x
end

String(foo)

actually calls the method Kernel#String

.