abstract class Object

Overview

Object is the base type of all Crystal objects.

Included Modules

Direct Known Subclasses

Defined in:

primitives.cr
object.cr
json/any.cr
json/to_json.cr
yaml/any.cr
yaml/to_yaml.cr
spec/expectations.cr
colorize.cr

Class Method Summary

Instance Method Summary

Macro Summary

Instance methods inherited from module Colorize::ObjectExtensions

colorize
colorize(fore) colorize

Instance methods inherited from module Spec::ObjectExtensions

should(expectation, file = __FILE__, line = __LINE__) should, should_not(expectation, file = __FILE__, line = __LINE__) should_not

Class Method Detail

def self.==(other : Class) #

[View source]
def self.===(other) #

[View source]
def self.cast(other) : self #

Casts other to this class.

This is the same as using as, but allows the class to be passed around as an argument. See the [documentation on as](//crystal-lang.org/docs/syntax_and_semantics/as.html) for more information.

klass = Int32
number = [99, "str"][0]
typeof(number)             # => (String | Int32)
typeof(klass.cast(number)) # => Int32

[View source]
def self.from_json(string_or_io) : self #

[View source]
def self.from_yaml(string : String) : self #

[View source]
def self.hash #

[View source]
def self.inspect(io) #

[View source]
def self.name : String #

Returns the name of this class.

String.name # => "String"

[View source]
def self.to_s(io) #

[View source]
def self.|(other : U.class) #

Returns the union type of self and other.

Int32 | Char # => (Int32 | Char)

[View source]

Instance Method Detail

def !=(other) #

Returns true if this object is not equal to other.

By default this method is implemented as !(self == other) so there's no need to override this unless there's a more efficient way to do it.


[View source]
def !~(other) #

Shortcut to !(self =~ other)


[View source]
abstract def ==(other) #

Returns true if this object is equal to other.

Subclasses override this method to provide class-specific meaning.


[View source]
def ===(other) #

Case equality.

The #=== method is used in a case ... when ... end expression.

For example, this code:

case value
when x
  # something when x
when y
  # something when y
end

Is equivalent to this code:

if x === value
  # something when x
elsif y === value
  # something when y
end

Object simply implements #=== by invoking #==, but subclasses (notably Regex) can override it to provide meaningful case-equality semantics.


[View source]
def ===(other : YAML::Any) #

[View source]
def ===(other : JSON::Any) #

[View source]
def =~(other) #

Pattern match.

Overridden by descendants (notably Regex and String) to provide meaningful pattern-match semantics.


[View source]
def class #

Returns the runtime Class of an object.

1.class       # => Int32
"hello".class # => String

Compare it with typeof, which returns the compile-time type of an object:

random_value = rand # => 0.627423
value = random_value < 0.5 ? 1 : "hello"
value         # => "hello"
value.class   # => String
typeof(value) # => Int32 | String

[View source]
def clone #

Returns a deep copy of this object.

Object returns self, but subclasses override this method to provide specific clone behaviour.


[View source]
def crystal_type_id #

:nodoc


[View source]
def dup #

Returns a shallow copy of this object.

Object returns self, but subclasses override this method to provide specific dup behaviour.


[View source]
abstract def hash #

Generates an Int hash value for this object.

This method must have the property that a == b implies a.hash == b.hash.

The hash value is used along with #== by the Hash class to determine if two objects reference the same hash key.


[View source]
def inspect #

Returns a String representation of this object.

Similar to #to_s, but usually returns more information about this object.

Classes must usually not override this method. Instead, they must override #inspect(io), which must append to the given IO object.


[View source]
def inspect(io : IO) #

Appends a string representation of this object to the given IO object.

Similar to #to_s(io), but usually appends more information about this object.


[View source]
def itself #

Return self.

str = "hello"
str.itself.object_id == str.object_id # => true

[View source]
def not_nil! #

Returns self. Nil overrides this method and raises an exception.


[View source]
def tap(&block) #

Yields self to the block, and then returns self.

The primary purpose of this method is to "tap into" a method chain, in order to perform operations on intermediate results within the chain.

(1..10).tap { |x| puts "original: #{x.inspect}" }
       .to_a.tap { |x| puts "array: #{x.inspect}" }
            .select { |x| x % 2 == 0 }.tap { |x| puts "evens: #{x.inspect}" }
                                      .map { |x| x*x }.tap { |x| puts "squares: #{x.inspect}" }

[View source]
def to_json #

[View source]
def to_pretty_json(io : IO) #

[View source]
def to_pretty_json #

[View source]
def to_s #

Returns a string representation of this object.

Descendants must usually not override this method. Instead, they must override #to_s(io), which must append to the given IO object.


[View source]
abstract def to_s(io : IO) #

Appends a String representation of this object to the given IO object.

An object must never append itself to the io argument, as this will in turn call #to_s(io) on it.


[View source]
def to_yaml(io : IO) #

[View source]
def to_yaml #

[View source]
def try(&block) #

Yields self. Nil overrides this method and doesn't yield.

This method is useful for dealing with nilable types, to safely perform operations only when the value is not nil.

# First program argument in downcase, or nil
ARGV[0]?.try &.downcase

[View source]

Macro Detail

macro def_equals(*fields) #

Defines an #== method by comparing the given fields.

The generated #== method has a self restriction.

class Person
  def initialize(@name, @age)
  end

  # Define a `==` method that compares @name and @age
  def_equals @name, @age
end

[View source]
macro def_equals_and_hash(*fields) #

Defines #hash and #== method from the given fields.

The generated #== method has a self restriction.

class Person
  def initialize(@name, @age)
  end

  # Define a hash method based on @name and @age
  # Define a `==` method that compares @name and @age
  def_equals_and_hash @name, @age
end

[View source]
macro def_hash(*fields) #

Defines a #hash method computed from the given fields.

class Person
  def initialize(@name, @age)
  end

  # Define a hash method based on @name and @age
  def_hash @name, @age
end

[View source]
macro delegate(method, required, *others) #

Delegate method to to_object.

Syntax is: delegate method1, [method2, ..., ], to_object

Note that due to current language limitations this is only useful when no blocks are involved.

class StringWrapper
  def initialize(@string)
  end

  delegate downcase, @string
  delegate gsub, @string
  delegate empty?, capitalize, @string
end

wrapper = StringWrapper.new "HELLO"
wrapper.downcase       # => "hello"
wrapper.gsub(/E/, "A") # => "HALLO"
wrapper.empty?         # => false
wrapper.capitalize     # => "Hello"

[View source]
macro forward_missing_to(delegate) #

Forwards missing methods to delegate.

class StringWrapper
  def initialize(@string)
  end

  forward_missing_to @string
end

wrapper = StringWrapper.new "HELLO"
wrapper.downcase       # => "hello"
wrapper.gsub(/E/, "A") # => "HALLO"

[View source]
macro getter(*names) #

Defines getter methods for each of the given arguments.

Writing:

class Person
  getter name
end

Is the same as writing:

class Person
  def name
    @name
  end
end

The arguments can be string literals, symbol literals or plain names:

class Person
  getter :name, "age"
end

If a type declaration is given, an instance variable with that name is declared with that type.

class Person
  getter name : String
end

Is the same as writing:

class Person
  @name : String

  def name
    @name
  end
end

[View source]
macro getter!(*names) #

Defines raise-on-nil and nilable getter methods for each of the given arguments.

Writing:

class Person
  getter! name
end

Is the same as writing:

class Person
  def name?
    @name
  end

  def name
    @name.not_nil!
  end
end

The arguments can be string literals, symbol literals or plain names:

class Person
  getter! :name, "age"
end

If a type declaration is given, an instance variable with that name is declared with that type, as nilable.

class Person
  getter! name : String
end

is the same as writing:

class Person
  @name : String?

  def name?
    @name
  end

  def name
    @name.not_nil!
  end
end

[View source]
macro getter?(*names) #

Defines query getter methods for each of the given arguments.

Writing:

class Person
  getter? happy
end

Is the same as writing:

class Person
  def happy?
    @happy
  end
end

The arguments can be string literals, symbol literals or plain names:

class Person
  getter? :happy, "famous"
end

If a type declaration is given, an instance variable with that name is declared with that type.

class Person
  getter? happy : Bool
end

is the same as writing:

class Person
  @happy : Bool

  def happy?
    @happy
  end
end

[View source]
macro property(*names) #

Defines property methods for each of the given arguments.

Writing:

class Person
  property name
end

Is the same as writing:

class Person
  def name=(@name)
  end

  def name
    @name
  end
end

The arguments can be string literals, symbol literals or plain names:

class Person
  property :name, "age"
end

If a type declaration is given, an instance variable with that name is declared with that type.

class Person
  property name : String
end

Is the same as writing:

class Person
  @name : String

  def name=(@name)
  end

  def name
    @name
  end
end

[View source]
macro property!(*names) #

Defines raise-on-nil property methods for each of the given arguments.

Writing:

class Person
  property! name
end

Is the same as writing:

class Person
  def name=(@name)
  end

  def name?
    @name
  end

  def name
    @name.not_nil!
  end
end

The arguments can be string literals, symbol literals or plain names:

class Person
  property! :name, "age"
end

If a type declaration is given, an instance variable with that name is declared with that type, as nilable.

class Person
  property! name : String
end

Is the same as writing:

class Person
  @name : String?

  def name=(@name)
  end

  def name?
    @name
  end

  def name
    @name.not_nil!
  end
end

[View source]
macro property?(*names) #

Defines query property methods for each of the given arguments.

Writing:

class Person
  property? happy
end

Is the same as writing:

class Person
  def happy=(@happy)
  end

  def happy?
    @happy
  end
end

The arguments can be string literals, symbol literals or plain names:

class Person
  property? :happy, "famous"
end

If a type declaration is given, an instance variable with that name is declared with that type.

class Person
  property? happy : Bool
end

Is the same as writing:

class Person
  @happy : Bool

  def happy=(@happy)
  end

  def happy?
    @happy
  end

  def happy
    @happy.not_nil!
  end
end

[View source]
macro setter(*names) #

Defines setter methods for each of the given arguments.

Writing:

class Person
  setter name
end

Is the same as writing:

class Person
  def name=(@name)
  end
end

The arguments can be string literals, symbol literals or plain names:

class Person
  setter :name, "age"
end

If a type declaration is given, an instance variable with that name is declared with that type.

class Person
  setter name : String
end

is the same as writing:

class Person
  @name : String

  def name=(@name)
  end
end

[View source]