Should I use alias or alias_method?

🤔Should I use alias or alias_method? 🔄

So, you've come across the age-old dilemma of whether to use alias or alias_method. You saw a blog post discussing this issue and are now feeling confused.

Let's dive into it and find out which one to choose and why! 💡

💁‍♂️Understanding the Problem

Let's first understand the difference between these two methods and how they work.

The alias keyword is used to create an alias for an existing method within the same class. It's commonly used and often seen in codebases.

On the other hand, alias_method is a method provided by Ruby to create aliases for methods. It is more flexible than alias and can be used across different classes.

🏋️‍♀️Usage of alias

Here's an example of how alias is used:

class User
  def full_name
    puts "Johnnie Walker"
  end

  alias name full_name
end

User.new.name #=> Johnnie Walker

In this example, the method name is created as an alias for the full_name method within the User class.

💪Usage of alias_method

Now, let's take a look at how alias_method is used:

class User
  def full_name
    puts "Johnnie Walker"
  end

  alias_method :name, :full_name
end

User.new.name #=> Johnnie Walker

In this case, we have achieved the same result as before. The alias_method allows us to create a method alias between different classes as well.

🤷‍♀️Which one should I use?

Now that we have seen both methods in action, you might be wondering which one to choose.

The answer depends on the context and use case. If you only need to create an alias within the same class, alias is perfectly fine and commonly used.

However, if you want the flexibility to create aliases across different classes, alias_method would be more suitable.

✅Easy Solutions

To make your decision-making process easier, consider the following guidelines:

• Use alias when you only need to create an alias within the same class.

• Use alias_method when you need to create aliases across different classes.

Remember, you can always change your code later if the need arises. 😉

📚Further Reading

If you want to delve deeper into this topic, you can find more information in the blog post that you mentioned. It provides additional insights and examples.

🎉Your Turn!

Now that you have a better understanding of alias and alias_method, it's time to make an informed decision based on your specific needs.

So, which one will you use in your code? Let us know in the comments below! 👇

Happy coding! 💻✨