super

Usage of super

The way super handles arguments is as follows:

• When you invoke super with no arguments Ruby sends a message to the parent of the current object, asking it to invoke a method of the same name as the method invoking super. It automatically forwards the arguments that were passed to the method from which it’s called.
• Called with an empty argument list – super()-it sends no arguments to the higher-up method, even if arguments were passed to the current method.
• Called with specific arguments – super(a, b, c) – it sends exactly those argument

class Bicycle  
  attr_reader :gears, :wheels, :seats  
  def initialize(gears = 1)  
    @wheels = 2  
    @seats = 1  
    @gears = gears  
  end  
end  
  
class Tandem < Bicycle  
  def initialize(gears)  
    super 1 
    @seats = 2  
  end  
end  
t = Tandem.new(2)  
puts t.gears  
puts t.wheels  
puts t.seats  
b = Bicycle.new  
puts b.gears  
puts b.wheels  
puts b.seats  

Returns:

ruby-1.9.2-p180 :084 > mvim 
2
2
2
1
2
1
 => nil 

from here: http://rubylearning.com/satishtalim/ruby_overriding_methods.html

note: he might be wrong on the second bullet. ruby might be doing the exact opposite:

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