From: Zach Dennis <zdennis@...>
Date: 2004-11-17T15:42:19+09:00
Subject: Ruby to C to another language (perhaps Java  (I Don't Need JRuby))

This posting is more for a learning thing then anything else at this 
point. I've been playing with Java to C via JNI lately doing some pretty 
basic tests; calling methods, getting and settings fields, passing 
primitive types around, etc...

A while back (a few months ago) I did some Ruby to C tests of pretty 
much the same caliber.

I would like to combine the two approaches and share some objects 
between Ruby to C to Java and vise versa. I am not looking for the JVM 
to be able to process ruby code. (no JRuby)

Has anyone had a similar approach (even if it wasn't Java) where they 
were able to wrap a few Objects and use C as the middle man to communicate?

If so, did you have to embed the ruby compiler inside the *.so or *.dll 
file when running the interpretor of the other language (i presume yes?) 
and what was the level of difficulty (one word answers are fine. I can 
live with easy, hard, difficult, if you want to share a whole paragraph 
then please do)?

Is it difficult to share data structures between three different 
languages. Again Ruby/C/"3rd Language"?

What I am trying to get out of this is in the long run is to be able to 
have a few data structures that I can share between Ruby and Java, via 
C. I currently have java application and I feel I could code quicker 
certain aspects alot quicker in Ruby if only I could share a data 
structure/object. Ideally I would like to do something like:

---In My Ruby Code---
class StringProcessor
	def process_str( str )
		#process
		return process_str
	end
end


---In my Java Code----
class StringProcessor{
	public native String _processString( String str );
	public void processString( String str ){
		this._processString( str );
	}
	public static void main( String[] args ){
		new StringProcessor().processString( aBigString );
	}
}


-----In my C Code (pseudo)-----
Java_StringProcessor__processString jstring ( jstring str ){
	char c = jStringToCharArray( str )
	c = Ruby_StringProcessor_processString( c )
	return charToJString( c )
}

jStringToCharArray char[] ( jstring str ){
	char[] c
	//convert
	return c
}

charToJString jstring( char[] c )
	jstring j
	//convert
	return j
}	

Ruby_StringProcessor_processString char[] ( rstring str ){
	char[] c;
	//Process
	return c;
}



This is not a well thought out example. It's just off the top of my head.

So does anyone know if this is possible?

Thanks,

Zach