diff --git a/Examples/test-suite/director_basic.i b/Examples/test-suite/director_basic.i
index 12cb0db65..56864f4a7 100644
--- a/Examples/test-suite/director_basic.i
+++ b/Examples/test-suite/director_basic.i
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
    virtual std::string ping() { return "Foo::ping()"; }
    virtual std::string pong() { return "Foo::pong();" + ping(); }
 
-   static Foo* get_self(Foo *self) {return self;}
+   static Foo* get_self(Foo *slf) {return slf;}
    
  };
 
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
    virtual std::string ping();
    virtual std::string pong();
    
-   static Foo* get_self(Foo *self);
+   static Foo* get_self(Foo *slf);
    
  };
 
diff --git a/Lib/cpointer.i b/Lib/cpointer.i
index 6b15a8417..881c511fc 100644
--- a/Lib/cpointer.i
+++ b/Lib/cpointer.i
@@ -55,14 +55,14 @@ NAME() {
   return new TYPE();
 }
 ~NAME() {
-  if (self) delete self;
+  if ($self) delete $self;
 }
 #else
 NAME() {
   return (TYPE *) calloc(1,sizeof(TYPE));
 }
 ~NAME() {
-  if (self) free(self);
+  if ($self) free($self);
 }
 #endif
 }
@@ -70,13 +70,13 @@ NAME() {
 %extend NAME {
 
 void assign(TYPE value) {
-  *self = value;
+  *$self = value;
 }
 TYPE value() {
-  return *self;
+  return *$self;
 }
 TYPE * cast() {
-  return self;
+  return $self;
 }
 static NAME * frompointer(TYPE *t) {
   return (NAME *) t;
@@ -126,34 +126,34 @@ static TYPE *copy_##NAME(TYPE value) { %}
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 %{  return new TYPE(value); %}
 #else
-%{  TYPE *self = (TYPE *) calloc(1,sizeof(TYPE));
-  *self = value;
-  return self; %}
+%{  TYPE *obj = (TYPE *) calloc(1,sizeof(TYPE));
+  *obj = value;
+  return obj; %}
 #endif
 %{}
 
-static void delete_##NAME(TYPE *self) { %}
+static void delete_##NAME(TYPE *obj) { %}
 #ifdef __cplusplus
-%{  if (self) delete self; %}
+%{  if (obj) delete obj; %}
 #else
-%{  if (self) free(self); %}
+%{  if (obj) free(obj); %}
 #endif
 %{}
 
-static void NAME ##_assign(TYPE *self, TYPE value) {
-  *self = value;
+static void NAME ##_assign(TYPE *obj, TYPE value) {
+  *obj = value;
 }
 
-static TYPE NAME ##_value(TYPE *self) {
-  return *self;
+static TYPE NAME ##_value(TYPE *obj) {
+  return *obj;
 }
 %}
 
 TYPE *new_##NAME();
 TYPE *copy_##NAME(TYPE value);
-void  delete_##NAME(TYPE *self);
-void  NAME##_assign(TYPE *self, TYPE value);
-TYPE  NAME##_value(TYPE *self);
+void  delete_##NAME(TYPE *obj);
+void  NAME##_assign(TYPE *obj, TYPE value);
+TYPE  NAME##_value(TYPE *obj);
 
 %enddef
 
diff --git a/Lib/typemaps/cpointer.swg b/Lib/typemaps/cpointer.swg
index f797a6895..94bbbd6bc 100644
--- a/Lib/typemaps/cpointer.swg
+++ b/Lib/typemaps/cpointer.swg
@@ -55,20 +55,20 @@ typedef struct {
     return %new_instance(TYPE);
   }
   ~NAME() {
-    if (self) %delete(self);
+    if ($self) %delete($self);
   }
 }
 
 %extend NAME {
 
   void assign(TYPE value) {
-    *self = value;
+    *$self = value;
   }
   TYPE value() {
-    return *self;
+    return *$self;
   }
   TYPE * cast() {
-    return self;
+    return $self;
   }
   static NAME * frompointer(TYPE *t) {
     return (NAME *) t;
@@ -113,24 +113,24 @@ typedef struct {
     return %new_copy(value, TYPE);
   }
 
-  static void delete_##NAME(TYPE *self) { 
-    if (self) %delete(self);
+  static void delete_##NAME(TYPE *obj) { 
+    if (obj) %delete(obj);
   }
 
-  static void NAME ##_assign(TYPE *self, TYPE value) {
-    *self = value;
+  static void NAME ##_assign(TYPE *obj, TYPE value) {
+    *obj = value;
   }
 
-  static TYPE NAME ##_value(TYPE *self) {
-    return *self;
+  static TYPE NAME ##_value(TYPE *obj) {
+    return *obj;
   }
 %}
 
 TYPE *new_##NAME();
 TYPE *copy_##NAME(TYPE value);
-void  delete_##NAME(TYPE *self);
-void  NAME##_assign(TYPE *self, TYPE value);
-TYPE  NAME##_value(TYPE *self);
+void  delete_##NAME(TYPE *obj);
+void  NAME##_assign(TYPE *obj, TYPE value);
+TYPE  NAME##_value(TYPE *obj);
 
 %enddef
 
diff --git a/Source/Modules/ruby.cxx b/Source/Modules/ruby.cxx
index f9582b8f4..5520ff2dc 100644
--- a/Source/Modules/ruby.cxx
+++ b/Source/Modules/ruby.cxx
@@ -657,9 +657,9 @@ private:
 	      Printf(doc, "    %s.new(%s)", class_name, paramList);
 	    else
 	      Printf(doc, "    %s.new", class_name);
-	  } else
-	    Printf(doc, "    %s.new(%s)", class_name, 
-		   make_autodocParmList(n, showTypes));
+	  } else {
+	    Printf(doc, "    %s.new(%s)", class_name, make_autodocParmList(n, showTypes));
+	  }
 	  break;
 
 	case AUTODOC_DTOR:
@@ -2640,9 +2640,12 @@ public:
     current = CONSTRUCTOR_ALLOCATE;
     Swig_name_register("construct", "%n%c_allocate");
 
-
     Language::constructorHandler(n);
 
+    String* docs = docstring(n, AUTODOC_CTOR);
+    Printf(f_wrappers, "%s", docs);
+    Delete(docs);
+
     /* 
      * If we're wrapping the constructor of a C++ director class, prepend a new parameter
      * to receive the scripting language object (e.g. 'self')
@@ -2665,13 +2668,7 @@ public:
       Delete(self);
     }
 
-
-
     /* Now do the instance initialize method */
-    String* docs = docstring(n, AUTODOC_CTOR);
-    Printf(f_wrappers, "%s", docs);
-    Delete(docs);
-
     current = CONSTRUCTOR_INITIALIZE;
     Swig_name_register("construct", "new_%n%c");
     Language::constructorHandler(n);