Tag: prepend

Ruby is well known for its flexibility and expressive syntax. One of its powerful features is the ability to share functionality using modules. While many languages offer mixins, Ruby stands out with three key methods: include, extend, and prepend. Understanding these methods can significantly improve code reuse and clarity. Let’s explore each with examples!

include → Adds Module Methods as Instance Methods

When you use include in a class, it injects the module’s methods as instance methods of the class.

Example: Using include for instance methods

module Greet
  def hello
    "Hello from Greet module!"
  end
end

class User
  include Greet
end

user = User.new
puts user.hello # => "Hello from Greet module!"

✅ Scope: The methods from Greet become instance methods in User.

extend → Adds Module Methods as Class Methods

When you use extend in a class, it injects the module’s methods as class methods.

Example: Using extend for class methods

module Greet
  def hello
    "Hello from Greet module!"
  end
end

class User
  extend Greet
end

puts User.hello # => "Hello from Greet module!"

✅ Scope: The methods from Greet become class methods in User, instead of instance methods.

prepend → Adds Module Methods Before Instance Methods

prepend works like include, but the methods from the module take precedence over the class’s own methods.

Example: Using prepend to override instance methods

module Greet
  def hello
    "Hello from Greet module!"
  end
end

class User
  prepend Greet
  
  def hello
    "Hello from User class!"
  end
end

user = User.new
puts user.hello # => "Hello from Greet module!"

✅ Scope: The methods from Greet override User‘s methods because prepend places Greet before the class in the method lookup chain.

Method Lookup Order

Understanding how Ruby resolves method calls is essential when using these techniques.

The method lookup order is as follows:

1. Prepend modules (highest priority)
2. Instance methods in the class itself
3. Include modules
4. Superclass methods
5. Object, Kernel, BasicObject

To visualize this, use the ancestors method:

class User
  prepend Greet
end

puts User.ancestors
# => [Greet, User, Object, Kernel, BasicObject]

How Ruby Differs from Other Languages

• Ruby is unique in dynamically modifying method resolution order (MRO) using prepend, include, and extend.
• In Python, multiple inheritance is used with super(), but prepend-like behavior does not exist.
• JavaScript relies on prototypes instead of module mixins, making Ruby’s approach cleaner and more structured.

Quick Summary

By understanding and using include, extend, and prepend, you can make your Ruby code more modular, reusable, and expressive. Master these techniques to level up your Ruby skills!

Enjoy Ruby 🚀