Interpretation as a local variable overrides method name?

Question

As in this question, when a local variable not defined is used within its own assignment, it is evaluated to nil.

x = x # => nil 
         


        

Answer 1

Short answer is, because Matz defined it so. This behavior is one of the very few things I don't like about Ruby. It even gets better:

a = b if a
=> nil
a
=> nil

Variable a gets initialized to nil even though in theory a = b statement should under no circumstances be executed.