Additional thoughts on `self`

The style guide currently takes a hard-line position on self that it shouldn't be used unless you're doing an attribute assignment. I would argue that this is actually an over-simplification.

Consider:

• self needs to be used with operators (e.g. self + other, self - [:x, :y], depends on the domain). In fact, RuboCop even calls this out explicitly as a case where self is not penalized because it's required.
• clarity in "spaceship operator" comparisons (i.e. sorting methods).

For example:

class Student
  def <=>(other)
    self.name <=> other.name
  end
end

In this case, self helps draw a distinction between a value in the current instance and the other instance. It balances out the comparison.

Start by reading the style guide's current guidance on self and the linked RuboCop explanation of required uses. Review the supplied operator and spaceship-comparison examples, then determine with maintainers whether the rule should be revised and what wording and examples would define the completed documentation change.