Getting Class Variables in class method

[DtY]

I wrote a class that keeps track of all the instances created in the variable @@settings, now I need a class method to read it back.

so, I have:

Ruby:

def UserSettings.all @@settings end

Which tells me that the class variable @@settings doesn't exist. It must be trying to read Class' @@settings, since this is inside a singleton method for Class. I tried @settings, which gave me nil (doesn't exist, I assume). So is there a method or something I can use to read a class variable?

[Tony]

@var is the class variable

Ruby:

irb(main):001:0> class Foo irb(main):002:1> @list = [] irb(main):003:1> def self.all irb(main):004:2>   @list irb(main):005:2> end irb(main):006:1> def initialize irb(main):007:2>   Foo.all << self irb(main):008:2> end irb(main):009:1> end => nil irb(main):010:0> Foo.new => #<Foo:0x7d7f8> irb(main):011:0> Foo.new => #<Foo:0x77aec> irb(main):012:0> Foo.all => [#<Foo:0x7d7f8>, #<Foo:0x77aec>]

[DtY]

Okay, thanks. If you can do it like that, what is the use of class variables? (Like with @@)

[Tony]

Wait, no... I've got things confused.

var -- local variable
@var -- instance variable
@@var -- class variable
$var -- global variable

The above _should_ be using @@class. I'm not entirely sure how it even works with the instance variable...

[wtd]

Classes are objects.