>>>>> "C" == Christoph Rippel <crippel / primenet.com> writes: C> class A C> attr_accessor :sym C> def try C> self.sym = "works" C> end C> end C> a = A.new C> a.try C> p a.sym # works Probably, and certainly, I'm stupid but why don't you write ? class A attr_accessor :sym def try @sym = "works" end end it's faster to write and faster to execute Guy Decoux