From: Charles Comstock <cc1@...>
Date: 2004-06-09T11:23:39+09:00
Subject: Re: ruby and mustard

On Tue, 8 Jun 2004, Ara.T.Howard wrote:
> these are the options i've been mulling over.  lately, however, i'm starting
> to favour this option:
> 
>    * just code it in c using ruby's builtin libs.  gives you hashes, eval'ing
>      code, lists, GC, etc.  i'm not adding additional dependancies and
>      guarunteed (if my c stays pretty posix) that my code will run where ruby
>      will.  don't need autotools, no stl., etc. etc.
> 
> are there any other options i'm missing?
> 
> what do you do when it needs to be __really__ fast BUT you also have to
> develop it __really__ fast and would __prefer__ not to add dependancies.

Have you taken a look at rubyinline?  It lets you embed compiled c
code inline in the middle of a ruby script.  That way if you need to
run a fast loop you can switch to C but the cheap code that takes a
while in C is still doable in ruby.  Can't remember the url for it,
should find it if you google.  I want to say it's zenspiders work.

Charlie