From: ptkwt@...1.aracnet.com (Phil Tomson)
Date: 2001-02-16T15:10:02+09:00
Subject: [ruby-talk:10955] Re: Borrowing some Perl infrastructure

In article <OF32C62DFD.2A1F3701-ON852569EC.00232E82@raleigh.ibm.com>,
Conrad Schneiker <schneik@us.ibm.com> wrote:
>Phil Tomson wrote:
>
># I was looking at some Win32 perl modules on CPAN recently -
># specifically, I need some functionality that is provided by perl's
># Win32::GuiTest module.  From what I can tell, most of the code
># involved is actually C code - they have C wrappers of some Win32
># system calls, etc. and then they build on them - mostly all in C,
># only one of the funtions was actually written in Perl.  But there's
># a catch, the code they provide is actually not the original C code ,
># but the .xs files which are presumably read by XS (kind of like
># SWIG, but specifically for extending Perl). 
># 
># Now, I could be wrong, but the XS code (somecode.xs) looks mostly
># like C code with some added tags.  Might it not be possible (and
># somebody who is more familiar with XS than I could shed some light
># here) to take the .xs files and munge them somehow to create Ruby
># extentions - or at least to make them readable from SWIG and then
># create Ruby modules from that direction.  It seems like doing this
># could get us a good number of Perl modules (at least where the
># modules rely heavily on C code) fairly quickly. 
>
>Well, I strongly object to calling that stealing, even in jest. As I'm 
>sure Larry Wall would be quick to point out, it's *open* *source* 
>software!

It was in jest (should have used a ;-)
I should probably say 'borrow' some perl modules. Note that I changed the 
subject heading for this thread.

>
>But anyway, what you suggest seems like a Great Idea (tm), IMHO (albeit an 
>uninformed one in this case).

Yes, I'll be the first to admit to being uninformed ;-)  I primarily 
wanted to throw out the idea for discussion.  If we can come up with a way 
to do it, it could be a quick way to add to available Ruby modules - I'm 
particulary interested in some of Perl's Win32 modules (especially 
Wi32::TestGui) which are mostly C code.

Phil