Running ruby1.9 bytecode

ruby-talk
1

Hi all,

I just found out about the VM::InstructionSequence.compile method for
turning Ruby code strings into ruby1.9 bytecode. Is there a standard method
of de/serializing this bytecode to/from files, and is there a way of running
bytecode directly? I'm looking at generating bytecode from another language
to get it to run on Ruby.

···

--
James Coglan

2

Hi all,

I just found out about the VM::InstructionSequence.compile method for
turning Ruby code strings into ruby1.9 bytecode. Is there a standard method
of de/serializing this bytecode to/from files, and is there a way of running
bytecode directly? I'm looking at generating bytecode from another language
to get it to run on Ruby.

Quoting from the Pickaxe book
no, because the bytecode verifier is not ready yet, that seems the
only missing bit.
HTH
Robert

···

On Mon, Apr 6, 2009 at 2:48 PM, James Coglan <jcoglan@googlemail.com> wrote:

--
James Coglan
jcoglan (James Coglan) · GitHub

--
There are some people who begin the Zoo at the beginning, called
WAYIN, and walk as quickly as they can past every cage until they get
to the one called WAYOUT, but the nicest people go straight to the
animal they love the most, and stay there. ~ A.A. Milne (from
Winnie-the-Pooh)

3

Well that's part of it. But, if by "generating bytecode from another
language" means, for instance, executing JVM bytecodes, I don't think it
will fly. The term bytecode here is being used rather generically. The YARV
"bytecodes" aren't the same as the JVM bytecodes, any more than Smalltalk-80
bytecodes are the same as either.

It's like the difference between an Intel and Motorola processor, both have
instruction sets with binary representations, but those instruction sets
aren't necessarily interchangeable.

Getting another language to produce YARV bytecodes would be an exercise for
the reader.

···

On Mon, Apr 6, 2009 at 3:27 PM, Robert Dober <robert.dober@gmail.com> wrote:

On Mon, Apr 6, 2009 at 2:48 PM, James Coglan <jcoglan@googlemail.com> > wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I just found out about the VM::InstructionSequence.compile method for
> turning Ruby code strings into ruby1.9 bytecode. Is there a standard
method
> of de/serializing this bytecode to/from files, and is there a way of
running
> bytecode directly? I'm looking at generating bytecode from another
language
> to get it to run on Ruby.
Quoting from the Pickaxe book
no, because the bytecode verifier is not ready yet, that seems the
only missing bit.
HTH
Robert

--
Rick DeNatale

Blog: http://talklikeaduck.denhaven2.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/RickDeNatale
WWR: http://www.workingwithrails.com/person/9021-rick-denatale
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/rickdenatale

4

Well that's part of it. But, if by "generating bytecode from another
language" means, for instance, executing JVM bytecodes, I don't think it
will fly. The term bytecode here is being used rather generically. The YARV
"bytecodes" aren't the same as the JVM bytecodes, any more than
Smalltalk-80
bytecodes are the same as either..

Getting another language to produce YARV bytecodes would be an exercise for
the reader.

I meant that I'd like to try and generate YARV bytecode from non-Ruby
source. Mostly a pie-in-the-sky idea, only just writing my first AST-walking
interpreter, just wondering if it's possible.

5

James Coglan wrote:

Well that's part of it. But, if by "generating bytecode from another
language" means, for instance, executing JVM bytecodes, I don't think it
will fly. The term bytecode here is being used rather generically. The YARV
"bytecodes" aren't the same as the JVM bytecodes, any more than
Smalltalk-80
bytecodes are the same as either..

Getting another language to produce YARV bytecodes would be an exercise for
the reader.
    
I meant that I'd like to try and generate YARV bytecode from non-Ruby
source. Mostly a pie-in-the-sky idea, only just writing my first AST-walking
interpreter, just wondering if it's possible.

It's definitely possible. I suggest you take a look at the parrot interpreter. It is a one-for-all interpreter (well, that's the aim, anyway), which began life as an April Fool's joke that someone took one step further. It officially hit version 1.0 the other day, so it should be a good example for you. By one-for-all I mean, it's a generic interpreter that can handle many languages, much like .NET and the clr, I guess.

···

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6

<snip>

I meant that I'd like to try and generate YARV bytecode from non-Ruby
source. Mostly a pie-in-the-sky idea, only just writing my first AST-walking
interpreter, just wondering if it's possible.

Having YARV/Rubinius as a backend for other languages is certainly a
very reasonable idea.
And if I understood correctly it is planned to be possible in the
(near?) future.

Cheers
R.

···

On Mon, Apr 6, 2009 at 11:03 PM, James Coglan <jcoglan@googlemail.com> wrote:

--
There are some people who begin the Zoo at the beginning, called
WAYIN, and walk as quickly as they can past every cage until they get
to the one called WAYOUT, but the nicest people go straight to the
animal they love the most, and stay there. ~ A.A. Milne (from
Winnie-the-Pooh)