My class declation is like this class TorontoTraderLoader INDEX_SYMBOL=2 STOCK_SYMBOL=1 @backTestDb=['backtestBackTest', 'user','pass'] def initialize(backTesting) @exchanges=@industries=@sectors=@stocksymbols='' @dbcon=DbAccess.new(@backTestDb) loadLookup end def initialize() @exchanges=@industries=@sectors=@stocksymbols='' loaddbConn loadLookup end ... I get the following error and it is so odd irb(main):001:0> require 'TorontoTraderLoader' => true irb(main):002:0> a=TorontoTraderLoader.new('ww') ArgumentError: wrong number of arguments (1 for 0) from (irb):2:in `initialize' from (irb):2 It does not make any sense. i have a overloaded constructor. i am not sure why it does not call teh overloaded constructor