attributes.rb

      def attribute(name, options = {})
        class_eval <<-EOS, __FILE__, __LINE__
          def #{name}
            attributes[:#{name}]
          end
        EOS
        case options[:type]
        when :boolean
          class_eval <<-EOS, __FILE__, __LINE__
            def #{name}=(new_#{name})
              attributes[:#{name}] = case new_#{name}
              when true,'true'
                true
              when false,'false'
                false
              end
            end
          EOS
        when :float
          class_eval <<-EOS, __FILE__, __LINE__
            def #{name}=(new_#{name})
              attributes[:#{name}] = new_#{name}.to_f
            end
          EOS
        when :integer
          class_eval <<-EOS, __FILE__, __LINE__
            def #{name}=(new_#{name})
              attributes[:#{name}] = new_#{name}.to_i
            end
          EOS
        when :string
          class_eval <<-EOS, __FILE__, __LINE__
            def #{name}=(new_#{name})
              attributes[:#{name}] = new_#{name}.to_s
            end
          EOS
        when :time
          class_eval <<-EOS, __FILE__, __LINE__
            def #{name}=(new_#{name})
              attributes[:#{name}] = if new_#{name}.nil? || new_#{name} == "" || new_#{name}.is_a?(Time)
                new_#{name}
              else
                Time.parse(new_#{name})
              end
            end
          EOS
        when :array
          class_eval <<-EOS, __FILE__, __LINE__
          def #{name}=(new_#{name})
            attributes[:#{name}] = [*new_#{name}]
          end
          EOS
        else
          if squash = options[:squash]
            class_eval <<-EOS, __FILE__, __LINE__
              def #{name}=(new_data)
                if new_data.is_a?(Hash)
                  if new_data.has_key?(:'#{squash}')
                    attributes[:#{name}] = new_data[:'#{squash}']
                  elsif new_data.has_key?("#{squash}")
                    attributes[:#{name}] = new_data["#{squash}"]
                  else
                    attributes[:#{name}] = [ new_data ]
                  end
                else
                  attributes[:#{name}] = new_data
                end
              end
            EOS
          else
            class_eval <<-EOS, __FILE__, __LINE__
              def #{name}=(new_#{name})
                attributes[:#{name}] = new_#{name}
              end
            EOS
          end
        end
        @attributes ||= []
        @attributes |= [name]
        for new_alias in [*options[:aliases]]
          aliases[new_alias] = name
        end
      end