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Ruby Objects and Classes

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Attribute Readers

1:46 with Jason Seifer

An attribute reader allows us to access variables in a class from outside that class. This is normally code we would have to write ourselves but Ruby gives us a shortcut in the form of an attribute reader.

Code Samples

class Name
  attr_reader :first_name, :middle_name, :last_name 

  def initialize(title, first_name, middle_name, last_name)
    @title = title
    @first_name = first_name
    @midde_name = middle_name
    @last_name = last_name
  end
end

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    Now that we know how to create and send in attributes when working on a class, 0:00
    let's go ahead and fix up our name class with the different name attributes. 0:05
    Now this pattern that we see right here, 0:11
    where we are setting instance variables, and then calling them later. 0:13
    It's something that's done quite a bit in Ruby. 0:19
    And Ruby actually gives us a shortcut for doing this exact thing. 0:22
    The shortcut is using a method called attr_reader which stands for 0:28
    attribute reader. 0:35
    Now let's try it right here. 0:37
    When we set the attribute reader as a title, 0:41
    we can go down to the Title Method and take this out. 0:45
    Now, if we run this program again, we should see the same thing printed. 0:50
    And we do. 0:57
    When we call the attr_reader method, 0:58
    Ruby is actually writing this method for us. 1:01
    It takes the name that we send in. 1:05
    Which in this case is title. 1:07
    And actually creates this method. 1:10
    Which just returns the variable. 1:13
    So we can go ahead and do that for all of our different named attributes. 1:18
    Now our class just looks like this. 1:33
    And let's go ahead and 1:37
    run it and just make sure that everything is printed out the same way again. 1:38
    And it works exactly as we expect it to. 1:43

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