Ruby 1.9.2-rc1: instance_eval can't handle a lambda (needs a proc)

gistfile1.rb

class InstanceEval
  def initialize(code)
    @code = code
    @context = Object.new
  end

  def run
    code = @code
    result = @context.instance_eval(&code)
    "* run --> #{result.inspect}"
  end
end

p = proc { :p }
l = lambda { :l }

puts InstanceEval.new(p).run
puts InstanceEval.new(l).run



# The output in 1.8.7-p72 and in 1.9.1-p378:
# 
#   * run --> :p
#   * run --> :l
# 
# The output in 1.9.2-rc1:
# 
#   * run --> :p
#   code.rb:15:... wrong number of arguments (1 for 0) (ArgumentError)
#           from code.rb:10:in `instance_eval'

The ArgumentError highlights the primary difference between proc and lambda: lambdas are like real methods, they do not accept arguments other than those specified in their parameter list. In contrast, procs are lenient and will accept less/more arguments than specified in their parameter list.

$ irb
## ruby 1.8.7 (2010-06-23 patchlevel 299) [i686-linux]
>> Object.new.instance_eval {|*args| p args }
[#<Object:0xb72f517c>]
=> nil

$ irb
## ruby 1.9.1p378 (2010-01-10 revision 26273) [i686-linux]
>> Object.new.instance_eval {|*args| p args }
[]
=> []

So it seems the Ruby 1.9 instance_eval() no longer passes the self object as a block argument.

I've updated the gist to show the specific versions in which the code worked. It works in 1.9.1-p378 but not 1.9.2-rc1 so it's probably a regression.

Lambdas and procs are confusing things (unfortunately) but I don't think their deliberate differences are the cause of this ArgumentError.

Update from nobu on ruby-core:

No, it not the point. Now instance_eval yields the self.

I was unaware of instance_eval ever yielding self, so I missed some of your meaning above, sunaku.

Now I'm wondering: when did instance_eval start yielding self, and why? Has it been going on for ages without my knowledge? ;)

That makes more sense. So Ruby 1.9.1 had a bug where instance_eval() did not yield self, and that bug was corrected in Ruby 1.9.2. According to my 1st comment, Ruby 1.8.7 also yields self just like Ruby 1.9.2, so yes it was just an unnoticed (because block parameters are not enforced in procs & blocks) feature of instance_eval().

Why does instance_eval pass self as the first argument to its argument (given that self is already implicitly available)?

@marick, the reason is not known. Ruby 1.8.7 just does it (see example output above).