From: Eric Hodel <drbrain@...7.net>
Date: 2005-11-19T07:07:53+09:00
Subject: Re: embedded ruby limitations

On Nov 18, 2005, at 1:47 PM, Timothy Byrd wrote:

>> What are you expecting (your users?) to do in Ruby
>> that could require multiple interpreters?  Are you
>> writing a web app using a not-ruby-aware framework,
>> so you need to have separate "contexts" for different
>> users of the app?
>
> (pardon my Windows-centric terminology)
>
> Imagine a command shell that can run individual Ruby commands
> maintaining a persistent Ruby environment.  For example (given a  
> syntax
> of "%@ruby[" <ruby_statement> "]"):
>
>     %@ruby[b = 42]
>     %@ruby[p b]
>
> would print 42 on the console, and then
>
>     %@ruby[`set q=#{b**3}`]
>
> would set the environment variable q to 74088 - *back in the calling
> environment*.
>
> Meanwhile, the shell would be able to directly run Ruby scripts, but
> might well want to run them in a fresh, clean environment, as is done
> by invoking ruby.exe on a script. And after the script has finished,
> the b would still be 42 in the command shell's persistent Ruby
> environment.

I think irb's workspaces work this way.

-- 
Eric Hodel - drbrain@segment7.net - http://segment7.net
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