Feature #12319: `Module#const_get` does not accept symbol with nested name

• Status: Open
• Assignee: -
• Target version: -

[sawa (Tsuyoshi Sawada)]

Module#const_get accepts non-nested string, nested string, and non-nested symbol:

class A; class B; class C end end end

A.const_get("B")    # => A::B
A.const_get("B::C") # => A::B::C
A.const_get(:B)     # => A::B

but does not accept nested symbol:

A.const_get(:"B::C") # => NameError: wrong constant name B::C

I would like this to be made possible.

[nobu (Nobuyoshi Nakada)]

• Related to Feature #5690: Module#qualified_const_get added

[nobu (Nobuyoshi Nakada)]

It's the intended behavior.
Symbol is a single name, not a class/module path.

[sawa (Tsuyoshi Sawada)]

Nobuyoshi Nakada wrote:

It's the intended behavior.
Symbol is a single name, not a class/module path.

I don't see any mentioning to symbol in #5690. If this is intended, I would like to ask it as a feature request. It is confusing/surprising that something you can do with string can be done with symbol, but cannot be completely done.

[sawa (Tsuyoshi Sawada)]

• Tracker changed from Bug to Feature

[duerst (Martin Dürst)]

Tsuyoshi Sawada wrote:

It is confusing/surprising that something you can do with string can be done with symbol, but cannot be completely done.

It's absolutely not confusing to me that A.const_get("B::C") works, but A.const_get(:"B::C") doesn't. If at all, I'd expect it to be A.const_get(:B, :C) or A.const_get([:B, :C]). Strings can have lots of structure; Symbols essentially don't have structure.

[sawa (Tsuyoshi Sawada)]

Martin Dürst wrote:

Strings can have lots of structure; Symbols essentially don't have structure.

If you look at the literal :"B::C", then it might seem somewhat contrived, but in practical use, the argument passed to const_get can be (and in most case is) a variable. And since it is more common to express method or constant names as symbols rather than strings, it is natural that a symbol (perhaps derived somewhere in the code from a string via to_sym) sneaks into the relevant variable argument of const_get. If it did not accept symbol at all, then it is easy to be reminded to just apply to_s to it, but if symbol works sometimes, then to_s can be easily forgotten. Then, later during the program run, when the variable turns out to hold a symbol representing a nested name, it suddenly raises a problem.

[Eregon (Benoit Daloze)]

I think as well that Symbols should not be used to generate dynamic names like that "SomModName::SomeOtherName".
Symbol are for identifiers, this is two or more identifiers with "::" in between.

[shevegen (Robert A. Heiler)]

I am also for keeping symbols simple! I love symbols, I abuse them a
lot in my ruby code to yield special instructions/behaviour such as:

disable :colours # where disable() is a method

But it would scare me if everyone would start to misuse symbols or
expand their usage too much. You also have to keep in mind that
newcomers are often confused about Strings versus Symbols. And I
think in the old ruby, it was actually not meant that Symbols
would become so exposed (not that I mind it, I myself love code
like the above)

[sawa (Tsuyoshi Sawada)]

• Description updated (diff)