This gem makes available the following methods to modules/classes as a refinement:

• translated_name: translates singleton class pointers in the class name to a more human readable name
• singleton_of: returns the class from which the class is the singleton class

Let's say that you are tracing class definitions with TracePoint.

tracepoint = TracePoint.new(:class) do |tp|
  puts tp.self
  #Do interesting stuff
end
tracepoint.enable

When executing this code:

class TestClass
  class << self
    def some_method
    end

    class AnotherClass
    end
  end
end

The trace will print:

TestClass

#Class:TestClass

#Class:0x00007fc2bf97fc00::AnotherClass

Singleton classes are anonymous classes in the sense that are not assigned to a constant.

When accessed directly, their name will contain the class for which they are the singleton class.

The name of modules/classes defined in a singleton class will contain a named pointer to the singleton class.

This gem helps you to decipher class names that contain singleton_class pointers, making it easier to trace class definitions.

When using the refinement, the above tracepoint will print:

TestClass

#Class:TestClass

#Class:TestClass::AnotherClass

Additionally, when introspecting a singleton class, you may want to know the class to which it is the singleton class.

class AClass
end

sc = AClass.singleton_class
# #<Class:AClass>

sc.singleton_of
# AClass

Add this line to your application's Gemfile:

gem 'singleton_class_helpers'

And then execute:

$ bundle install

Or install it yourself as:

$ gem install singleton_class_helpers

Ruby 2.4+

Activate the refinement in the scope you want to be the methods available.

using SingletonClassHelpers::Refinement

Use the available helpers on modules/classes.

A transate name like:

#<Class:#<Class:FirstClass>::FirstModule>::SimpleClass

can be better read from right to left as follows:

• SimpleClass defined in FirstModule's singleton class which is defined in singleton class of FirstClass.

“Monkey patching” or prepending methods to classes make changes global, and can cause side-effects.

When tracing programs, one may want to make sure that the tracer doesn't break funcionality.

After checking out the repo, run bin/setup to install dependencies. Then, run rake test to run the tests. You can also run bin/console for an interactive prompt that will allow you to experiment.

To install this gem onto your local machine, run bundle exec rake install. To release a new version, update the version number in version.rb, and then run bundle exec rake release, which will create a git tag for the version, push git commits and tags, and push the .gem file to rubygems.org.

Bug reports and pull requests are welcome on GitHub at https://github.com/dunkelbraun/singleton_class_helpers. This project is intended to be a safe, welcoming space for collaboration, and contributors are expected to adhere to the code of conduct.

The gem is available as open source under the terms of the MIT License.

Everyone interacting in the SingletonClassHelpers project's codebases, issue trackers, chat rooms and mailing lists is expected to follow the code of conduct.