From: Brett Williams <brett_williams@...>
Date: 2004-06-19T00:23:21+09:00
Subject: Re: What is a binding for Ruby?

Todd Gardner wrote:
> In general, I have been trying to utilize plotting packages that have
> not been written for Windows 2000.  Users of this group quite often
> recommend software to me and they say something like that software has
> a binding for Ruby.
> 
> I'm guessing I have used bindings for Ruby and don't even know it.
> 
> Pardon my ignorance:
> 
> What is a binding for Ruby?

A "binding" indicates that the underlying software library (usually 
written in C or C++, but always compiled) has a way to access it from 
Ruby.  As an example, mysql is a C program, but you can use it with one 
of several Ruby bindings.  A binding just means you can access the 
functionality of the compiled library from Ruby.

> How can I use a binding for Ruby?

This is dependent on the library that the binding is for.

> How can identify that something is a binding for Ruby?

A more pertinent question is, does this library have a ruby binding? 
Sometimes the bindings are part of the base software, but most of the 
time the binding is something a Ruby fan wrote to interface with the 
library.

For example, look at the Library/GUI section of the RAA:
http://raa.ruby-lang.org/cat.rhtml?category_major=Library;category_minor=GUI

Most of these are Ruby bindings to C or C++ GUI libraries.  Someone has 
written C glue code to make these libraries usable in Ruby alone.  Just 
to name a few, fxruby is a binding to the FOX GUI toolkit, and qtruby is 
a binding to the QT GUI toolkit.  You'll find on the RAA and elsewhere 
many Ruby bindings to popular software libraries.

> Do I need a compiler of some sort?

Often this is true, unless you can find a binary distribution of the 
binding package that is compatible with your version of the library.

Once you have built the binding correctly, you will not need a compile 
to write a Ruby application or library that uses the binding.

HTH,

Brett Williams