From @masak

<ash_> rakudo​: class A { has $!a }; my $a = A.new(a => 42); my $method
= method { return $!a }; $a.$method().say;
<p6eval> rakudo c41cf3​: OUTPUT«42␤»
<ash_> should that be allowed?
<moritz_> ash_​: rakudo doesn't really enforce privateness of
attributes in any case
<moritz_> ash_​: but I don't think it should be allowed
<ash_> got ya
<ash_> some languages have different ideas of 'private', but most
languages with reflection end up having all their variables public,
eventually
<TimToady> the compiler should have no idea what $!a means outside the
class's block, I think
<ash_> so, a bare "my $a = method { $!a }" would be a compiler error?
<ash_> by bare i mean, outside a class definition
<TimToady> outside of anyplace that doesn't define $!a
<TimToady> including inside a different class definition

From @ronaldxs

Possibly a variation of the same problem, and certainly falling under
the subject of "$!a outside of class", simply asking rakudo to
evaluate "$.a" or "$!a" gives Null PMC errors at this point. As
further noted here on IRC - http://irclog.perlgeek.de/perl6/2011-06-
14#i_3923449 and http://irclog.perlgeek.de/perl6/2011-06-14#i_3925731 -
nom does better but still seems to need some work.

The RT System itself - Status changed from 'new' to 'open'

From @jnthn

On Sun Apr 11 01​:33​:59 2010, masak wrote​:

<ash_> rakudo​: class A { has $!a }; my $a = A.new(a => 42); my $method
= method { return $!a }; $a.$method().say;
<p6eval> rakudo c41cf3​: OUTPUT«42␤»
<ash_> should that be allowed?
<moritz_> ash_​: rakudo doesn't really enforce privateness of
attributes in any case
<moritz_> ash_​: but I don't think it should be allowed
<ash_> got ya
<ash_> some languages have different ideas of 'private', but most
languages with reflection end up having all their variables public,
eventually
<TimToady> the compiler should have no idea what $!a means outside the
class's block, I think
<ash_> so, a bare "my $a = method { $!a }" would be a compiler error?
<ash_> by bare i mean, outside a class definition
<TimToady> outside of anyplace that doesn't define $!a
<TimToady> including inside a different class definition

Now it's a compile time error​:

class A { has $!a }; my $a = A.new(a => 42); my $method = method {
return $!a }; $a.$method().say;
Cannot understand $!a in this context at line 1, near " }; $a.$me"

Tagging testneeded.

/jnthn

From @moritz

Now tested in S12-attributes/instance.t.

@moritz - Status changed from 'open' to 'resolved'