From: Joel VanderWerf <vjoel@...>
Date: 2001-11-06T18:07:52+09:00
Subject: [ruby-talk:24443] [ANN] CGenerator 0.1


Quoting from the intro:

  The (({CGenerator})) module is a framework for dynamically
  generating C extensions. It is a bit like Perl's (({inline})) but
  intended for a different purpose: managing incremental, structured
  additions to C source files, and compiling the code and loading the
  library just in time for execution. Whereas (({inline})) helps you
  write a C extension, (({CGenerator})) helps you write a Ruby
  program that generates C extensions. To put it another way, this is
  a Ruby interface to the Ruby C API. 
  
  The original use of (({CGenerator})) was as the back end of a
  compiler for mathematical expressions in C-like syntax involving
  limited Ruby subexpressions. In that case, (({CGenerator})) allowed
  the compiler to think about the syntax and semantics of the input
  expressions without having to worry about the high-level structure
  of the generated .c and .h files.
  
  One potential use is quick-turnaround development and testing of C
  code, possibly using Ruby as a driver environment; the library
  under construction needn't be Ruby-specific. If SWIG didn't support
  Ruby, this framework could be the starting point for a program that
  generates wrapper code for existing libraries. Finally, a Ruby
  package that includes C extensions could benefit from being able to
  use Ruby code to dynamically specify the contents and control the
  build process during installation.
  
  The (({CGenerator})) framework consists of two base classes,
  (({Accumulator})) and (({Template})). Think of accumulators as
  blanks in a form and templates as the form around the blanks,
  except that accumulators and templates can nest within each other.
  The base classes have subclasses which hierarchically decompose the
  information managed by the framework. This hierarchy is achieved by
  inheritance along the parent attribute, which is secondary to
  subclass inheritance.

  ...

License is the same as Ruby's, of course. It's in RAA, under
Library/devel. Or go directly to
  http://redshift.sourceforge.net/cgen/
and do not collect $200. (Weak joke. It's late in CA.)

The doc is a bit rambly and sketchy. It needs editing. For now, just
skip to the Example section if you want to see what it does. Then look
at the Usage section. Leave the general discussion for when you're
really, really trying to avoid work ;)

The code is still forming, or maybe I should say coagulating. I'm
looking forward to your suggestions...

--
Joel VanderWerf                          California PATH, UC Berkeley
mailto:vjoel@path.berkeley.edu                     Ph. (510) 231-9446
http://www.path.berkeley.edu                       FAX (510) 231-9512