When to use 'self' in Ruby

Question

This method:

  def format_stations_and_date
    from_station.titelize! if from_station.respond_to?(:titleize!)
    to_station.titleize! if to_station.respond_to?(:titleize!)
    if date.respond_to?(:to_date)
      date = date.to_date
    end
  end

Fails with this error when date is nil:

NoMethodError (You have a nil object when you didn't expect it!
The error occurred while evaluating nil.to_date):
  app/models/schedule.rb:87:in `format_stations_and_date'
  app/controllers/schedules_controller.rb:15:in `show'

However, if I change date = date.to_date to self.date = self.date.to_date, the method works correctly.

What's going on? In general, when do I have to write self?

Edit: It's not related to the question, but please note that there is no "titleize!" method.

Answer 1

Whenever you want to invoke a setter method on self, you have to write self.foo = bar. If you just write foo = bar, the ruby parser recognizes that as a variable assignment and thinks of foo as a local variable from now on. For the parser to realize, that you want to invoke a setter method, and not assign a local variable, you have to write obj.foo = bar, so if the object is self, self.foo = bar