Dynamically added accessor assignment doesn't work when invoking block via instance_eval in Ruby

I have a class to which I add attribute accessors dynamically at runtime. This class forms part a DSL, whereby blocks get passed to configuration methods and invoked using instance_eval. This makes it possible in the DSL to remove references to 'self' when referencing methods of the class.

However, I've discovered that I can reference the attributes to retrieve their values, but am unable to assign them, unless explicity referencing self, as the following code sample illustrates.

class Bar

  def add_dynamic_attribute_to_class(name)
    Bar.add_dynamic_attribute(name)
  end

  def invoke_block(&block)
    instance_eval &block
  end

  def self.add_dynamic_attribute(name)
    attr_accessor name
  end

end

b = Bar.new

b.add_dynamic_attribute_to_class 'dyn_attr'

b.dyn_attr = 'Hello World!'

# dyn_attr behaves like a local variable in this case
b.invoke_block do
  dyn_attr = 'Goodbye!'
end

# unchanged!
puts "#{b.dyn_attr} but should be 'Goodbye!'"

# works if explicitly reference self
b.invoke_block do
  self.dyn_attr = 'Goodbye!'
end

# changed...
puts "#{b.dyn_attr} = 'Goodbye!"

# using send works
b.invoke_block do
  send 'dyn_attr=', 'Hello Again'
end

# changed...
puts "#{b.dyn_attr} = 'Hello Again!"

# explain this... local variable or instance method?
b.invoke_block do

  puts "Retrieving... '#{dyn_attr}'"

  # doesn't fail... but no effect
  dyn_attr = 'Cheers'

end

# unchanged
puts "#{b.dyn_attr} should be 'Cheers'"

Can anyone explain why this isn't behaving as expected?

The issue arrises with the way that Ruby deals with instance and local variables. What is happening is that you are setting a local variable in your instance_eval block, rather than using the ruby accessor.

This might help explain it:

class Foo
  attr_accessor :bar

  def input_local
    bar = "local"
    [bar, self.bar, @bar, bar()]
  end

  def input_instance
    self.bar = "instance"
    [bar, self.bar, @bar, bar()]
  end

  def input_both
    bar = "local"
    self.bar = "instance"
    [bar, self.bar, @bar, bar()]
  end
end

foo = Foo.new
foo.input_local #["local", nil, nil, nil]
foo.input_instance #["instance", "instance", "instance", "instance"]
foo.input_both #["local", "instance", "instance", "instance"]

The way bocks work is that they distinguish between local and instance variables, but if a local variable is not defined when it's reader is called, the class defaults to the instance variable (as is the case with the call to input_instance in my example).

There are three ways to get the behavior you want.

Use instance variables:

    class Foo
      attr_accessor :bar

      def evaluate(&block)
        instance_eval &block
      end
    end

    foo = Foo.new
    foo.evaluate do
      @bar = "instance"
    end
    foo.bar #"instance"

Use a self variable:

    class Foo
      attr_accessor :bar

      def evaluate(&block)
        block.call(self)
      end
    end

    foo = Foo.new
    foo.evaluate do |c|
      c.bar = "instance"
    end
    foo.bar #"instance"

Use setter functions:

    class Foo
      attr_reader :bar
      def set_bar value
        @bar = value
      end

      def evaluate(&block)
        instance_eval &block
      end
    end

    foo = Foo.new
    foo.evaluate do
      set_bar "instance"
    end
    foo.bar #"instance"

All of these examples set foo.bar to "instance".