* doc/syntax/calling_methods.rdoc: Added a Method Lookup section.

* doc/syntax/refinements.rdoc (Method Lookup):  Clarified that
  refinement methods are looked up in classes, not instances.


git-svn-id: svn+ssh://ci.ruby-lang.org/ruby/trunk@38928 b2dd03c8-39d4-4d8f-98ff-823fe69b080e

1 files changed, 25 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/doc/syntax/calling_methods.rdoc b/doc/syntax/calling_methods.rdoc
index a011144f71..79c0de59dc 100644
--- a/doc/syntax/calling_methods.rdoc
+++ b/doc/syntax/calling_methods.rdoc
@@ -322,3 +322,28 @@ avoid a warning.
 Unlike the splat operator described above the <code>&</code> operator has no
 commonly recognized name.
 
+== Method Lookup
+
+When you send a message Ruby looks up the method that matches the name of the
+message for the receiver.  Methods are stored in classes and modules so method
+lookup walks these, not the objects themselves.
+
+Here is the order of method lookup for the receiver's class or module +R+:
+
+* The prepended modules of +R+ in reverse order
+* For a matching method in +R+
+* The included modules of +R+ in reverse order
+
+If +R+ is a class with a superclass, this is repeated with +R+'s superclass
+until a method is found.
+
+Once a match is found method lookup stops.
+
+If no match is found this repeats from the beginning, but looking for
++method_missing+.  The default +method_missing+ is BasicObject#method_missing
+which raises a NameError when invoked.
+
+If refinements (an experimental feature) are active the method lookup changes.
+See the {refinements documentation}[rdoc-ref:syntax/refinements.rdoc] for
+details.
+