How to create a private class method?

Question

How come this approach of creating a private class method works:

class Person

  def self.get_name
    persons_name
  end

  class << self

    private         


        

Answer 1

By default all class methods are public. To make them private you can use Module#private_class_method like @tjwallace wrote or define them differently, as you did:

class << self

  private

  def method_name
    ...
  end
end

class << self opens up self's singleton class, so that methods can be redefined for the current self object. This is used to define class/module ("static") method. Only there, defining private methods really gives you private class methods.