Include existing C/C++ libraries in Ruby

ruby-talk
1

I want to use my existing C/C++ libraries in Ruby and is there a way to
do that? I tried SWIG but it doesn't work out that good for complex
objects and methods that I have in my libraries. Any other ways to
accomplish this?

···

--
Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/.

2

I hand-wrap libraries. It's not that hard, and I can micromanage the API
that way.

Aria

···

On Sat, 2006-08-05 at 02:57 +0900, Ritesh Tijoriwala wrote:

I want to use my existing C/C++ libraries in Ruby and is there a way to
do that? I tried SWIG but it doesn't work out that good for complex
objects and methods that I have in my libraries. Any other ways to
accomplish this?

3

you can use them directly with ruby/dl

   harp:~/build/ruby-1.8.4/ext/dl/sample > cat a.rb
   require "dl/import"
   require "dl/struct"

   module LIBC
     extend DL::Importable

     begin
       dlload "libc.so.6"
     rescue
       dlload "libc.so.5"
     end

     extern "int atoi(char*)"
   end

   p LIBC.atoi("42")

   harp:~/build/ruby-1.8.4/ext/dl/sample > ruby a.rb
   42

dl is included with ruby

-a

···

On Sat, 5 Aug 2006, Ritesh Tijoriwala wrote:

I want to use my existing C/C++ libraries in Ruby and is there a way to
do that? I tried SWIG but it doesn't work out that good for complex
objects and methods that I have in my libraries. Any other ways to
accomplish this?

--
happiness is not something ready-made. it comes from your own actions.
- h.h. the 14th dali lama

4

Aredridel wrote:

···

On Sat, 2006-08-05 at 02:57 +0900, Ritesh Tijoriwala wrote:

I want to use my existing C/C++ libraries in Ruby and is there a way to
do that? I tried SWIG but it doesn't work out that good for complex
objects and methods that I have in my libraries. Any other ways to
accomplish this?

I hand-wrap libraries. It's not that hard, and I can micromanage the API
that way.

Aria

Hello Aria,

Can you demonstrate with some example. It will help me great in
understanding. Appreciate your help.

Ritesh.

--
Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/\.

5

unknown wrote:

I want to use my existing C/C++ libraries in Ruby and is there a way to
do that? I tried SWIG but it doesn't work out that good for complex
objects and methods that I have in my libraries. Any other ways to
accomplish this?

you can use them directly with ruby/dl

I used to use ruby/dl a lot, and it's vastly better than the equivalent
stuff in Python, although the documentation is inadequate. But more
recently I've gotten in the habit of simply writing plain old Ruby
extensions (lots of good docs, and they are dead-easy) that wrap my
C/C++ code. I think that's the best way, because you can keep all the
ugly stuff in C and your Ruby code stays nice and clean. You have to do
a certain amount of massaging between the C world and the Ruby world,
but it's not hard. Read README.EXT in the ruby source distro.

···

On Sat, 5 Aug 2006, Ritesh Tijoriwala wrote:

--
Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/\.

6

I have an idea, though I'll honestly say that I don't know if it'll
work: try making some simpler C/C++ libraries, let SWIG do its thing
with those, and see what the code it produces looks like. It's
basically a template or a reference!

Then again, I don't work with Ruby extensions and C/C++ libraries
(though I intend to someday).

M.T.