Rails - Jun 2006 - difference between @secure_password, secure_password

Hello,
I have a User object that extends ActiveRecord::Base.
And I have the following defined in it:
  ....
  after_validation :crypt_password

  ...
   def crypt_password
   # write_attribute("secure_password", User.encrypt(password))
    self.secure_password = User.encrypt(password)
  end
..

And this works. Where I am getting confused  about is the difference 
between the following:
   secure_password,
   @secure_password
   self.secure_password


Because these versions of crypt_password method don''t work:
  def crypt_password
    secure_password = User.encrypt(password)
  end

  def crypt_password
    @secure_password = User.encrypt(password)
  end

When I debug the app by placing a breakpoint right after the assigment 
operation
in crypt_password, and ask for values:
  @secure_password returns ''nil''
but
  secure_password returns the encrypted password..

Which is very puzzling.
First of all, I thought @ was used for instance variables. So 
@secure_password should be the one with the encrypted value assigned not 
secure_password...

Let''s forget  that..If secure_password contains the encrypted value as
I
see on the console, why would secure_password = User.encrypt(password) 
call not do what I expect it to do?

Obviously, I''m pretty confused about the usage of @ vs. non-@, self, 
etc..

Thanks,
Cagan

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