From: David Flanagan <david@...>
Date: 2007-07-25T06:39:46+09:00
Subject: Re: What libraries to be unbundled?

NaHi's original message included a small list of candidates for 
unbundling.  I don't think that json belongs on that list.

I'm not ready to argue for JSON to be in core.  I'd rather see it moved 
to core than unbundled into a gem, however.  As to Ryan's specific points:

1) It looks to me as if JSON parsing and generating is already in C. 
See: ext/json/ext/{parser,generator/*.c  (This is from relatively recent 
1.9 source code. There are also pure-Ruby implementations in lib/; I'm 
not sure which is actually being used.)

2&3) JSON parsers and generators don't need to be malleable or to 
evolve. JSON is a very tightly specified data format and is unlikely to 
change.  The parser and generator don't need to be flexible; they just 
need to be correct!  (And I have no idea whether the current 
implementations are any good or not.)

I fear I'm leading this thread astray, so I'll shut up about JSON now.

	David


Ryan Davis wrote:
> 
> On Jul 24, 2007, at 11:39 , David Flanagan wrote:
> 
>> I don't think that json should be unbundled.  It is the interchange 
>> format of choice for Ajax applications, and I think it is going to see 
>> more and more use. It even has its own RFC!  If anything, I think that 
>> json support should be migrated into the core!
> 
> I'm not going to repeat Jame's concerns, but I agree with him.
> 
> What I don't really understand is the sentiment of migrating into core 
> (read: translating to C). The lower you push the code:
> 
> + the more bugs it'll have
> + the less malleable it is
> + the less it'll evolve
> 
> By having it in standard lib, you keep it ruby, making my first two 
> points moot. But you still have the problem of hindering evolution. By 
> externalizing the library, it can be released independently of ruby and 
> can mature at any pace it wants.
> 
>