From: "fxn (Xavier Noria) via ruby-core" <ruby-core@...>
Date: 2025-02-25T11:50:46+00:00
Subject: [ruby-core:121162] [Ruby master Misc#21154] Document or change Module#autoload?

Issue #21154 has been updated by fxn (Xavier Noria).


@mame Let me put it all together:

Consider a script `foo.rb`:

```ruby
autoload :Foo, 'foo'
p autoload?(:Foo)
```

If we execute that with `ruby -I. -rfoo -e1`, we get `nil`. But this does not agree with the docs:

1. The constant `Foo` does not exist, therefore (according to the docs), the autoload is **registered**.
2. `Module#constants` lists `:Foo`, which is consistent.
3. `Module#const_added` is called with `:Foo`, which is consistent.

Now, the docs of `Module #autoload?` say:

> Returns filename to be loaded if name is registered as autoload in the namespace of mod or one of its ancestors.

**since the autoload is registered, I should get a filename back, not `nil`**.

My **question** to the Ruby team is: Is the behavior OK and the docs should be updated, or should the implementation be updated instead?

My suggestion would be to keep the docs as they are and simplify `autoload?` to be a simple lookup in the constants table.

(Hope that explains it better.)


----------------------------------------
Misc #21154: Document or change Module#autoload?
https://bugs.ruby-lang.org/issues/21154#change-112102

* Author: fxn (Xavier Noria)
* Status: Open
----------------------------------------
The documentation of `Module#autoload?` says

> Returns filename to be loaded if name is registered as autoload in the namespace of mod or one of its ancestors.

Cool, but in the following snippet

```ruby
autoload :Foo, 'foo'
autoload?(:Foo)
```

the second line could evaluate to `nil`, and this does not seem to agree. I just registered an autoload, therefore (according to the documentation) I should get "foo" back in line 2.

I'd like to ask for clarification from the Ruby team:

1. Is the documentation complete? Should that second line always return "foo"?
2. If the answer is no, which is the logic missing in the docs?

Thank you!



-- 
https://bugs.ruby-lang.org/
 ______________________________________________
 ruby-core mailing list -- ruby-core@ml.ruby-lang.org
 To unsubscribe send an email to ruby-core-leave@ml.ruby-lang.org
 ruby-core info -- https://ml.ruby-lang.org/mailman3/lists/ruby-core.ml.ruby-lang.org/