From: w wg [mailto:duzuike / gmail.com] : # I typed "ri Kernel", but I can't find any Kernel's class method. C:\family\ruby>qri integer --------------------------------------------------------- Kernel#Integer Integer(arg) => integer ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Converts _arg_ to a +Fixnum+ or +Bignum+. Numeric types are converted directly (with floating point numbers being truncated). If _arg_ is a +String+, leading radix indicators (+0+, +0b+, and +0x+) are honored. Others are converted using +to_int+ and +to_i+. This behavior is different from that of +String#to_i+. Integer(123.999) #=> 123 Integer("0x1a") #=> 26 Integer(Time.new) #=> 1049896590 same w qri kernel#integer