[ruby-core:46899] Re: (Half-baked DRAFT) new `require' framework

On 31/07/12 13:29, SASADA Koichi wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> This is `pre'-feature request.  I can't make up complete feature
> request.  I post it to summaries current consideration.
> 
> ----------------------
> 
> = Abstract
> 
> Now, `require' only loads `.rb' script or `.so' files from `file system'.
> 
> (Proposal-1)
> This proposal extends the current limitation of require:
> 
>    (1) load script which is represented by other than `.rb' and `.so'.
>      (example: pre-compiled file, encrypted file)
> 
>    (2) load script from location from other than `file system'.
>      (example: require from zip archive, require over network,
>       require files provided by gem efficiently using file location db)
> 
> (Proposal-2)
> However, Proposal-1 is too big and we have not-enough time to discuss
> about it.  I propose alternative feature: `require' contractible
> primitives.  Break down `require' process and add primitives which can
> implement `customized require' in Ruby (or C level).
> Using (Proposal-2), we can make gem which provides (Proposal-1).  We can
> try and discuss about good design of (Proposal-1).
> 
> 

I would dearly love to see Proposal-1, with the added proviso that I'd
also like to be able to *prevent* .rb- and .so-loading from the
filesystem, so the mechanism which occurred to me was a modifiable array
of loaders, queried in sequence.  But that's getting ahead of things :-)

Speaking selfishly, my worry about Proposal-2 is that my use case
doesn't work as a gem: I want to load ruby code from a C array that's
linked into the ruby binary at compile-time, and I want the code I
provide that way to be available to rb_require() when it's called in
extensions.

> == Related work

We've got a few more examples of related things being done in Ruby-land.
 Unless I'm mistaken, exerb is somewhat similar (loading from a binary
package), as is https://github.com/copiousfreetime/crate.git, which
loads from filesystem sqlite databases.  I've had a shot at doing
loading from a compiled-in sqlite database at
https://github.com/regularfry/carton.git, but got bogged down in build
system shenanigans and put it to one side.

> === Python: PEP-273, PEP-302
> 
> Python can import file from Java file (described in PEP-273).
> Python extends PEP-273 to import any format file by PEP-302.
> This proposal (Proposal1) is based on PEP-302.
> 
> However, PEP-302 can only support to import `.py' and `.pyc' files, not
> other file format.

PEX files look like they provide python bundling:
https://gist.github.com/2371638.  They rely on a custom runner, though.

-- 
Alex