Rails 2.2.2 to_date and to_datetime methods

James Byrne
Wed, 04 Feb 2009 20:27:18 -0000

In the console I see this behaviour:


>> "19270412000000".to_date.methods
=> ["ns?", "mon", "ago",
"end_of_month", "months_since",
"default_inspect", "minus_without_duration",
...
>> "19270412000000".to_date.class
=> Date
>> "19270412000000".class
=> String
>> String.to_date.methods
NoMethodError: undefined method `to_date'' for String:Class
        from (irb):23

Can someone explain how a method may be present in an object instance
but not in the object class?  Does Rails insert singleton methods into
these instances?