Module: Singleton (Ruby 2.2.2)
Description: Module : Singleton - Ruby 2.2.2

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Support for the Ruby 2.2 series has ended. See here for reference.

### Home Classes Methods

### In Files

- singleton.rb

### Methods

- ::_load
- #_dump
- #clone
- #dup

### Class/Module Index

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# Singleton

The Singleton module implements the Singleton pattern.

## Usage¶ ↑

To use Singleton, include the module in your class.

    class Klass
       include Singleton
       # ...
    end

This ensures that only one instance of Klass can be created.

    a,b  = Klass.instance, Klass.instance

    a == b
    # => true

    Klass.new
    # => NoMethodError - new is private ...

The instance is created at upon the first call of Klass.instance().

    class OtherKlass
      include Singleton
      # ...
    end

    ObjectSpace.each_object(OtherKlass){}
    # => 0

    OtherKlass.instance
    ObjectSpace.each_object(OtherKlass){}
    # => 1

This behavior is preserved under inheritance and cloning.

## Implementation¶ ↑

This above is achieved by:

- Making Klass.new and Klass.allocate private.

- Overriding Klass.inherited(sub_klass) and Klass.clone() to ensure that the Singleton properties are kept when inherited and cloned.

- Providing the Klass.instance() method that returns the same object each time it is called.

- Overriding Klass._load(str) to call Klass.instance().

- Overriding Klass#clone and Klass#dup to raise TypeErrors to prevent cloning or duping.

## Singleton and Marshal¶ ↑

By default Singleton's #_dump(depth) returns the empty string. Marshalling by default will strip state information, e.g. instance variables and taint state, from the instance. Classes using Singleton can provide custom _load(str) and _dump(depth) methods to retain some of the previous state of the instance.

    require 'singleton'

    class Example
      include Singleton
      attr_accessor :keep, :strip
      def _dump(depth)
        # this strips the @strip information from the instance
        Marshal.dump(@keep, depth)
      end

      def self._load(str)
        instance.keep = Marshal.load(str)
        instance
      end
    end

    a = Example.instance
    a.keep = "keep this"
    a.strip = "get rid of this"
    a.taint

    stored_state = Marshal.dump(a)

    a.keep = nil
    a.strip = nil
    b = Marshal.load(stored_state)
    p a == b  #  => true
    p a.keep  #  => "keep this"
    p a.strip #  => nil

### Public Class Methods

_load click to toggle source

By default calls instance(). Override to retain singleton state.

                   # File singleton.rb, line 172

### Public Instance Methods

_dump(depth = -1) click to toggle source

By default, do not retain any state when marshalling.

                   # File singleton.rb, line 108
    def _dump(depth = -1)
      ''
    end

clone() click to toggle source

Raises a TypeError to prevent cloning.

                   # File singleton.rb, line 98
    def clone
      raise TypeError, "can't clone instance of singleton #{self.class}"
    end

dup() click to toggle source

Raises a TypeError to prevent duping.

                   # File singleton.rb, line 103
    def dup
      raise TypeError, "can't dup instance of singleton #{self.class}"
    end