>>>>> "H" == Hal E Fulton <hal9000 / hypermetrics.com> writes: H> eval("x=5") H> puts x # Never heard of x! The reference to x as a local variable or a method call is resolved at compile time. In this case, this is the first time that ruby see "x" and because this is not an assignement, ruby think that it's a method call. Guy Decoux