From: craig duncan <craig-duncan@...>
Date: 2005-02-14T08:03:41+09:00
Subject: Re: Structuring Ruby extension code

Timothy Hunter wrote:
> On 2005-02-13 02:37:33 -0500, craig duncan <craig-duncan@earthlink.net> 
> said:
<snip>
>> craig
> 
> 
> The module is there to prevent namespace pollution. By defining the Ogg 
> module you are reserving the Ogg namespace instead of inserting your 
> classes into the top-level namespace. It's a courtesy to your users.

Thanks.  I kind of understood this.  If there was no C extension involved, the 
question wouldn't even have occurred to me.  But trying to get my brain around how 
the extension stuff works is fuzzing my brain.  There isn't enough of a basic 
explanation of the fundamentals anywhere, as far as i can tell (except the pickaxe book).

> Defining a singleton method called `new' is the old way to define the 
> `new' class method. In 1.8.0 and later, use the rb_define_alloc_func 
> function. See the PickaxeII for more information.

Thanks for the info.  It's a shame the documentation situation is the way that it is. 
  In order to get _any_ documentation for the version i'm running (and coding to), 
i've got to go buy a (very good, admittedly) book.  I already bought the first 
pickaxe book.  Can't i get an upgrade.  :-)