I am trying to dynamically define methods based on xml mappings. This works really well. However I want to create an instance variable that is a array of the dynamically defined methods.

My code looks something like this

  def xml_attr_reader(*args)
    xml_list = ""
    args.each do |arg|
      string_val = "def #{arg}; " +
                   "   xml_mapping.#{arg}; " +
                   "end; "
      self.class_eval string_val
      xml_hash = xml_list + "'#{arg}',"
    end

    self.class_eval "@xml_attributes = [] if @xml_attributes.nil?;" +
                    "@xml_attributes = @xml_attributes + [#{xml_list}];" +
                    "puts 'xml_attrs = ' + @xml_attributes.to_s;" +
                    "def xml_attributes;" +
                    "  puts 'xml_attrs = ' + @xml_attributes.to_s;" +
                    "  @xml_attributes;" +
                    "end"
  end

So everything works except when I call xml_attributes on an instance it return null (and prints out 'xml_attrs = ').

While the puts before the definition actually prints out the correct array. (when I instantiate the instance)