Should I use alias or alias_method?

Question

I found a blog post on alias vs. alias_method. As shown in the example given in that blog post, I simply want to alias a method to another within the same class. Which should I use? I always see alias used, but someone told me alias_method is better.

Usage of alias

class User

  def full_name
    puts "Johnnie Walker"
  end

  alias name full_name
end

User.new.name #=>Johnnie Walker

Usage of alias_method

class User

  def full_name
    puts "Johnnie Walker"
  end

  alias_method :name, :full_name
end

User.new.name #=>Johnnie Walker

Blog post link here

Answer 1

alias_method can be redefined if need be. (it's defined in the Module class.)

alias's behavior changes depending on its scope and can be quite unpredictable at times.

Verdict: Use alias_method - it gives you a ton more flexibility.

Usage:

def foo
  "foo"
end

alias_method :baz, :foo