Except arguments when instantiating a variable

Question

Hey guys,
i'm trying to write some of the stuff we did in the Ruby Track on my own and ask myself the following:
When does the instantiated variable take arguments and when not?
Here is the code written by Jason (just the beginning of it): 
class TodoItem
  attr_reader :name
  def initialize(name)
    @name = name
    @complete = false
   end
This code accepts one argument when i instantiate it. For example: item = TodoItem.new("Milk")
Here is the same spot of the code written by me:
class TodoItem
  attr_accessor :name, :complete
  def create(name, status)
    @name = name
    if status.downcase == "complete"
      @complete = true
    else
      @complete = false
    end
    item = {name: @name, status: @complete}
return item
  end
This code however doesn't accept the two arguments when i try to instantiate it with "item = TodoItem.new("Milk", "incomplete")
Would be great if someone could explain this to me.
Thanks in advance :)

Galen Cook · Answer

If you want to instantiate with two arguments, then you need to have an initialize method that accepts two arguments.  Add this code in:

def initialize(name, status)
   @name = name
   @status = status
end

The initialize method is run every time you instantiate a class.  Your code could work as is, but instead of passing two arguments upon instantiation, you would instantiate then call the create method you've defined and pass the arguments in there.

item = ToDoItem.new
   item.create("Milk", "incomplete")

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Daniel Lake

Daniel Lake

Except arguments when instantiating a variable

1 Answer

Galen Cook

Galen Cook

Daniel Lake

Daniel Lake

Galen Cook

Galen Cook

Daniel Lake

Daniel Lake

Seth Reece

Seth Reece