# The great ri conversion... :)

**URL:** <https://rubytalk.org/t/the-great-ri-conversion/9486>\
**Category:** ruby-talk\
**Created:** [27 December 2003 06:30 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/the-great-ri-conversion/9486 "2003-12-27T06:30:23Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Dave\_Mail\_Archive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f04885/32.png) [@Dave\_Mail\_Archive](https://rubytalk.org/u/Dave_Mail_Archive)\
**Post date:** [27 December 2003 06:30 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/the-great-ri-conversion/9486/1 "2003-12-27T06:30:23Z")

</div>

We’re in the middle of integrating RDoc/ri-style comments into the main  
interpreter sources (we being Michael Granger and me, with help from Ed  
Sinjiashvili). So far we’re maybe 60% complete, and it’s starting to  
look pretty good. You can check our progress at

[http://www.rubygarden.org/ruby?StillToDo](http://www.rubygarden.org/ruby?StillToDo)

If you want to play with the results (and you’re on a Unix-based box)(\*)

- check out a copy of the latest Ruby from CVS.

- build and install

- in the main Ruby directory (the one containing object.c etc), type

- then use ‘ri’ to browse the results

- You can get prettier output by enabling formatting

“-f bs” does formatting using overstrikes, and works with pagers such  
as “more” and “less.” The “-f ansi” option uses ANSI escape sequences.  
To make these work with the “less” pager, you need to tell it to allow  
raw escape codes through. I run my version of less with the LESS  
environment variable set as follows:

```
export LESS="-REX"

```

You can use RDoc as before to extract documentation from your own  
classes (and from library classes). If you use the --ri option, this  
documentation will then be accessible via ‘ri’.

Right now there are some holes, and I’ll be adding features and fixing  
bugs over the next couple of weeks. I’m announcing this now to  
encourage people to play, find issues, and come up with things to  
improve. However, I’m not yet at the stage where I can deal with bugs  
reports and the like. Please play with all this stuff, and in a week or  
so I’ll announce a release candidate, at which point I’ll be soliciting  
as much feedback as I can get.

Cheers

Dave

(\*) Why Unix only? Because I haven’t even tried it on a Windows box  
yet. It might work, but then again… I _will_ try it at some point.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Shashank\_Date2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e99b99/32.png) [@Shashank\_Date2](https://rubytalk.org/u/Shashank_Date2)\
**Post date:** [27 December 2003 15:11 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/the-great-ri-conversion/9486/2 "2003-12-27T15:11:50Z")

</div>

“Dave Thomas” [dave@pragprog.com](mailto:dave@pragprog.com) wrote in message

> Cheers
> 
> Dave
> 
> (\*) Why Unix only? Because I haven’t even tried it on a Windows box  
> yet. It might work, but then again… I _will_ try it at some point.

I tried it on Windows ! It worked !! Well, almost (see below 😉

DISCLAIMER: I am just a user of “benchtimer.rb”, not the author  
I have attached the ruby source of that file for reference only.

> **···**
>
> * * *
> 
> C:\>ruby -v  
> ruby 1.8.1 (2003-12-25) [i386-mswin32]
> 
> C:\>rdoc -v  
> RDoc V1.0pr1: 2003/12/01 07:12:48 (1.1)
> 
> C:\> cd RubyConf\*
> 
> C:\RubyConf2003\>rdoc --ri LegoTowerServer.rb
> 
> ```
> LegoTowerServer.rb: c..........
> 
> ```
> 
> Generating RI…
> 
> ## C:\RubyConf2003\>ri LegoTowerServer ------------------------------------------------ Module: LegoTowerServer DRb Server to talk to the LegoUSB port
> 
> ## Constants:
> 
> ```
> SCREEN: 0
> FILE: 1
> 
> ```
> 
> ## Class methods:
> 
> ```
> new
> 
> ```
> 
> ## Instance methods:
> 
> ```
> bye, close_usb, log_start, log_stop, old_send_msg, open_usb,
> recv_msg, send_msg, sender
> 
> ```
> 
> C:\RubyConf2003\> cd \atest  
> C:\atest\>rdoc --ri benchtimer.rb
> 
> ```
> benchtimer.rb: c.....
> 
> ```
> 
> Generating RI…  
> C:/RUBY/lib/ruby/1.8/rdoc/markup/simple\_markup/to\_flow.rb:92:in  
> `accept_rule': undefined local variable or method `size’ for  
> #SM::ToFlow:0x2c24c80 (NameError)  
> from  
> C:/RUBY/lib/ruby/1.8/rdoc/markup/simple\_markup/fragments.rb:170:in `accept' from C:/RUBY/lib/ruby/1.8/rdoc/markup/simple_markup/fragments.rb:165:in `each’  
> from  
> C:/RUBY/lib/ruby/1.8/rdoc/markup/simple\_markup/fragments.rb:165:in `accept' from C:/RUBY/lib/ruby/1.8/rdoc/markup/simple_markup.rb:259:in `convert’  
> from C:/RUBY/lib/ruby/1.8/rdoc/generators/ri\_generator.rb:224:in  
> `markup' from C:/RUBY/lib/ruby/1.8/rdoc/generators/ri_generator.rb:153:in `generate\_method\_info’  
> from C:/RUBY/lib/ruby/1.8/rdoc/generators/ri\_generator.rb:137:in  
> `generate_class_info' from C:/RUBY/lib/ruby/1.8/rdoc/generators/ri_generator.rb:136:in `each’  
> from C:/RUBY/lib/ruby/1.8/rdoc/generators/ri\_generator.rb:136:in  
> `generate_class_info' from C:/RUBY/lib/ruby/1.8/rdoc/generators/ri_generator.rb:90:in `process\_class’  
> from C:/RUBY/lib/ruby/1.8/rdoc/generators/ri\_generator.rb:85:in  
> `generate' from C:/RUBY/lib/ruby/1.8/rdoc/generators/ri_generator.rb:84:in `each’  
> from C:/RUBY/lib/ruby/1.8/rdoc/generators/ri\_generator.rb:84:in  
> `generate' from C:/RUBY/lib/ruby/1.8/rdoc/rdoc.rb:210:in `document’  
> from C:/RUBY/bin/rdoc.bat:70
> 
> ## C:\atest\>
> 
> * * *
> 
> begin 666 benchtimer.rb  
> M(R ]/3T]/3T]/3T]/3T]/3T]/3T]/3T]/3T]/3T]/3T]/3T]/3T]/3T]/3T]  
> M/3T]/3T]/3T]/3T]/3T-“B,@(” @(" @(“!”(&4@;B!C(&@@5"!I(&T@92!R  
> M(“X@\<B!B#0HC(#T]/3T]/3T]/3T]/3T]/3T]/3T]/3T]/3T]/3T]/3T]/3T]  
> M/3T]/3T]/3T]/3T]/3T]/3T]/3T]/0T\*(PT\*(R!0\<F]J96-T.B!L:6)R87)Y  
> M(”@=71I;&ET\>0T\*(R!697)S:6]N.B D4F5V:7-I;VXZ(“,R(“0-“B,@075T  
> M:&]R.B @)$%U=&AO\<CH@\<')O8F5R=&T@) T\*(R!$871E.B @(” D1&%T93H@  
> M,C P,R\P,2\P,B D#0HC#0HC(#T]/3T]/3T]/3T]/3T]/3T]/3T]/3T]/3T]  
> M/3T]/3T]/3T]/3T]/3T]/3T]/3T]/3T]/3T]/3T]/0T\*(PT\*(R!#;W!Y\<FEG  
> M:‘0@_&,I(#(P,#(L($UA\<FL@4’)O8F5R=" H\<‘)O8F5R=&U 86-M+F]R9RD-  
> M"B,@(" @(" @(" @(" @($%L;"!2:6=H=’,@4F5S97)V960-"B,-"B,@/3T]  
> M/3T]/3T]/3T]/3T]/3T]/3T]/3T]/3T]/3T]/3T]/3T]/3T]/3T]/3T]/3T]  
> M/3T]/3T]/3T]#0HC($%B;W5T.@T_(PT\*(R!!(’-I;7!L92!T:6UE\<B!F;W(@  
> M9&]I;F\<@8F5N8VAM87)K(&-O;7!A\<FES;VYS+@T\*(PT\*(R!%\>&%M\<&QE.@T\*  
> M(PT\*(R @8G0@/2!“96YC:%1I;65R+FYE=PT\*(R @8G0N=&5S=%]B96=I;B@B  
> M8F]B(#$B_0T_(R @(R!D;R!B;V(@,2!S='5F9B N+BX-“B,@(&)T+G1E\<W1?  
> M96YD\*”)B;V(@,2(I#0HC(”!B=“YR97!O\<G0@(R!P\<FEN=”!T:&4@\<F5P;W)T  
> M(“XN+@T\*(PT\*(R!296QE87-E9”!U;F1E\<B!-250@3&EC96YS92 H\<V5E($Q)  
> M0T5.4T4N='AT_0T_(PT\*(R ]/3T]/3T]/3T]/3T]/3T]/3T]/3T]/3T]/3T]  
> M/3T]/3T]/3T]/3T]/3T]/3T]/3T]/3T]/3T]#0H-“F-L87-S($)E;F-H5&EM  
> M97(-”@T\*(”! 0’1I;65R(#T@2&%S:“YN97\<-”@T\*(”!D968@:6YI=&EA;&EZ  
> M90T\*(" @($!L87-T7VQA8F5L(#T@;FEL(" @(" @(" @(" C(‘)E8V]R9"!F  
> M;W(@96%S\>2!A8V-E\<W,-“B @(”! \<F5S=6QT\<R @(" ]($AA\<V@N;F5W(" @  
> M(" @(R!U\<V5D(&EN(’!R;V-E\<W-I;F\<@\<F5S=6QT\<PT\*#0H@(" @0$!T:6UE  
> M\<BYC;&5A\<B @(" @(" @(" @(" @(“,@;6%K92!S=7)E(&ET(&ES(&5M\<'1Y  
> M#0H@(&5N9 T\*#0H-“B @(R M+2TM+0T\*(” C(&1O:70@+2T@\<W1A\<G0@=&AE  
> M('1I;65R(&9O\<B!T:&4@\<G5N#0H@(”,-“B @9&5F(&1O:70@_&QA8F5L/6YI  
> M;“D-“B @(”!R86ES92 B\>6]U(&YE960@82!L86)E;”$B(&EF(&QA8F5L+FYI  
> M;#-"@T_(” @($! =&EM97);;&%B96Q=(#T@(B-[5&EM92YN;W\<N=&]?9GTB  
> M#0H@(" @0&QA\<W1?;&%B96P@/2!L86)E; T\*#0H@(" @\<F5T=7)N(‘1R=64-  
> M"B @96YD#0H-“B @(R M+2TM+0T\*(” C(&1O;F4@+2T@\<W1O\<“!T:&4@=&EM  
> M97(@9F]R('1H92!R=6X-“B @(PT\*(”!D968@9&]N92 H;&%B96P]0&QA\<W1?  
> M;&%B96PI#0H@(” @\<F%I\<V4@(GEO=2!N965D(&$@;&%B96PA(B!I9B!L86)E  
> M;“YN:6P\_#0H@(” @\<F%I\<V4@(F)A9"!L86)E;“$@_“-[;&%B96Q]2(@:68@  
> M0$!T:6UE\<EML86)E;%TN;FEL/PT#0H@(” @0$!T:6UE\<EML86)E;%T@/#P@  
> M(CHC\>U1I;64N;F]W+G1O7V9](@T_(” @(’)E=‘5R;B!T\<G5E#0H@(&5N9 T\*  
> M#0H-“B @(R M+2TM+0T\*(” C(’!R;V-E\<W,@+2T@9V@=&AR;W5G:“!T:&4@  
> M=&EM97(@87)R87D@86YD(&9I;F0@=&AE(&1E;'1A\<PT\*(” C#0H@(&1E9B!P  
> M\<F]C97-S#0H@(" @0’)E\<W5L=‘,N8VQE87(-“@T\*(” @($! =&EM97(N96%C  
> M:“![('QI=&5M? T\*(” @(" @;&%B96P@/2!I=&5M6S!=#0H@(" @(“!T\<W1A  
> M\<G0L('1S=&]P(#T@:71E;5LQ72YS\<&QI=”@O.B\I#0H@(" @(“!D96QT82 ]  
> M('1S=&]P+G1O7V8@+2!T\<W1A\<G0N=&]?9@T\*#0H@(” @(“! \<F5S=6QT\<UML  
> M86)E;%T@/2!D96QT80T\*(” @(‘T-“B @(”!R971U\<FX@0’)E\<W5L=’,-“B @  
> M96YD#0H-”@T\*(" C(“TM+2TM#0H@(”,@\<F5P;W)T(“TM('!R;V1U8V4@82!N  
> M:6-E;‘D@9F]R;6%T=&5D(’)E\<&]R= T\*(” C#0H@(&1E9B!R97!O\<G0-“B @  
> M(”!P=71S(“)\<;EQN(@T\*(” @(‘!U=’,@(BTM+2TM+2TM+2TM+2TM+2TM+2TM  
> M+2TM+2TM+2TM+2TM+2TM+2TM+2TM+2TM+2TM+2TM(@T\*(" @(‘!U=’,@(D)E  
> M;F-H5&EM97(@4F5P;W)T.B(-“B @(”!P=71S(“(M+2TM+2TM+2TM+2TM+2TM  
> M+2TM+2TM+2TM+2TM+2TM+2TM+2TM+2TM+2TM+2TM+2TM+2(-”@T\*(" @(‘!R  
> M;V-E\<W,N\<V]R=“YE86-H('L@?&QA8F5L+”!D96QT87P-“B @(” @(’!R:6YT  
> M9B B)2TT,',@)3@N,F9S7&XB+"!L86)E;“P@9&5L=&$-“B @(”!]#0H-“B @  
> M(”!P=71S(”(M+2TM+2TM+2TM+2TM+2TM+2TM+2TM+2TM+2TM+2TM+2TM+2TM
> 
> > +2TM+2TM+2TM+2TM+2(-“B @96YD#0IE;F0-”@T\*  
> > `  
> > end

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Thomas\_Uehlinger2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ad7895/32.png) [@Thomas\_Uehlinger2](https://rubytalk.org/u/Thomas_Uehlinger2)\
**Post date:** [27 December 2003 18:24 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/the-great-ri-conversion/9486/3 "2003-12-27T18:24:15Z")

</div>

When i run this in my ruby source dir I get the following error:

uehli@ueh-t ruby $ rdoc --ri \*.c

```
                        array.c: Override []

```

/usr/local/lib/ruby/1.9/rdoc/parsers/parse\_c.rb:364: warning: character  
class has `]' without escape /usr/local/lib/ruby/1.9/rdoc/parsers/parse_c.rb:364:in `find\_override\_comment’: premature end of regular expression:  
/Document-method:\s._?\n((?\>._?\*/))/ (RegexpError)  
from /usr/local/lib/ruby/1.9/rdoc/parsers/parse\_c.rb:333:in  
`find_body' from /usr/local/lib/ruby/1.9/rdoc/parsers/parse_c.rb:305:in `handle\_method’  
from /usr/local/lib/ruby/1.9/rdoc/parsers/parse\_c.rb:256:in  
`do_methods' from /usr/local/lib/ruby/1.9/rdoc/parsers/parse_c.rb:248:in `scan’  
from /usr/local/lib/ruby/1.9/rdoc/parsers/parse\_c.rb:248:in  
`do_methods' from /usr/local/lib/ruby/1.9/rdoc/parsers/parse_c.rb:142:in `scan’  
from /usr/local/lib/ruby/1.9/rdoc/rdoc.rb:159:in `parse_files' from /usr/local/lib/ruby/1.9/rdoc/rdoc.rb:152:in `each’  
from /usr/local/lib/ruby/1.9/rdoc/rdoc.rb:152:in `parse_files' from /usr/local/lib/ruby/1.9/rdoc/rdoc.rb:188:in `document’  
from /usr/local/bin/rdoc:63

> **···**
>
> On Sam, 2003-12-27 at 07:30, Dave Thomas wrote:
> 
> > We’re in the middle of integrating RDoc/ri-style comments into the main  
> > interpreter sources (we being Michael Granger and me, with help from Ed  
> > Sinjiashvili). So far we’re maybe 60% complete, and it’s starting to  
> > look pretty good. You can check our progress at
> > 
> > [http://www.rubygarden.org/ruby?StillToDo](http://www.rubygarden.org/ruby?StillToDo)
> > 
> > If you want to play with the results (and you’re on a Unix-based box)(\*)
> > 
> > - check out a copy of the latest Ruby from CVS.
> > 
> > - build and install
> > 
> > - in the main Ruby directory (the one containing object.c etc), type
> 
> * * *
> 
> uehli@ueh-t ruby $ ruby -v  
> ruby 1.9.0 (2003-12-27) [i686-linux]
> 
> > - then use ‘ri’ to browse the results
> > 
> > - You can get prettier output by enabling formatting
> > 
> > “-f bs” does formatting using overstrikes, and works with pagers such  
> > as “more” and “less.” The “-f ansi” option uses ANSI escape sequences.  
> > To make these work with the “less” pager, you need to tell it to allow  
> > raw escape codes through. I run my version of less with the LESS  
> > environment variable set as follows:
> > 
> > ```
> > export LESS="-REX"
> > 
> > ```
> > 
> > You can use RDoc as before to extract documentation from your own  
> > classes (and from library classes). If you use the --ri option, this  
> > documentation will then be accessible via ‘ri’.
> > 
> > Right now there are some holes, and I’ll be adding features and fixing  
> > bugs over the next couple of weeks. I’m announcing this now to  
> > encourage people to play, find issues, and come up with things to  
> > improve. However, I’m not yet at the stage where I can deal with bugs  
> > reports and the like. Please play with all this stuff, and in a week or  
> > so I’ll announce a release candidate, at which point I’ll be soliciting  
> > as much feedback as I can get.
> > 
> > Cheers
> > 
> > Dave
> > 
> > (\*) Why Unix only? Because I haven’t even tried it on a Windows box  
> > yet. It might work, but then again… I _will_ try it at some point.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Dave\_Mail\_Archive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f04885/32.png) [@Dave\_Mail\_Archive](https://rubytalk.org/u/Dave_Mail_Archive)\
**Post date:** [27 December 2003 18:52 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/the-great-ri-conversion/9486/4 "2003-12-27T18:52:44Z")

</div>

Excellent! Thanks for the report. I’d never tried running with warning  
enabled (which is kinda stupid, I know). This should be fixed in the  
latest CVS.

Cheers

Dave

> **···**
>
> On Dec 27, 2003, at 12:24, Thomas Uehlinger wrote:
> 
> > When i run this in my ruby source dir I get the following error:
> > 
> > uehli@ueh-t ruby $ rdoc --ri \*.c
> > 
> > ```
> > array.c: Override []
> > 
> > ```
> > 
> > /usr/local/lib/ruby/1.9/rdoc/parsers/parse\_c.rb:364: warning: character  
> > class has `]’ without escape

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Thomas\_Uehlinger2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ad7895/32.png) [@Thomas\_Uehlinger2](https://rubytalk.org/u/Thomas_Uehlinger2)\
**Post date:** [28 December 2003 09:58 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/the-great-ri-conversion/9486/5 "2003-12-28T09:58:35Z")

</div>

Yet another thing:  
When I try to rdoc --ri the _whole_ ruby source dir (which is probably  
stupid), I get a seg fault:

Generating RI…  
/usr/local/lib/ruby/1.9/yaml/rubytypes.rb:315: [BUG] Segmentation fault  
ruby 1.9.0 (2003-12-28) [i686-linux]

Aborted

This would, of course, not so much be related to rdoc or ri, but to ruby  
itself.  
Just wanted to ask whether you can reproduce it.

> **···**
>
> On Sam, 2003-12-27 at 19:52, Dave Thomas wrote:
> 
> > On Dec 27, 2003, at 12:24, Thomas Uehlinger wrote:
> > 
> > > When i run this in my ruby source dir I get the following error:
> > > 
> > > uehli@ueh-t ruby $ rdoc --ri \*.c
> > > 
> > > ```
> > > array.c: Override []
> > > 
> > > ```
> > > 
> > > /usr/local/lib/ruby/1.9/rdoc/parsers/parse\_c.rb:364: warning: character  
> > > class has `]’ without escape
> > 
> > Excellent! Thanks for the report. I’d never tried running with warning  
> > enabled (which is kinda stupid, I know). This should be fixed in the  
> > latest CVS.
> > 
> > Cheers
> > 
> > Dave

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ts1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a8b319/32.png) [@ts1](https://rubytalk.org/u/ts1)\
**Post date:** [28 December 2003 14:34 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/the-great-ri-conversion/9486/6 "2003-12-28T14:34:27Z")

</div>

> This would, of course, not so much be related to rdoc or ri, but to ruby  
> itself.

No, for me the problem is in syck.

Guy Decoux

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Thomas\_Uehlinger2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ad7895/32.png) [@Thomas\_Uehlinger2](https://rubytalk.org/u/Thomas_Uehlinger2)\
**Post date:** [28 December 2003 20:37 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/the-great-ri-conversion/9486/7 "2003-12-28T20:37:56Z")

</div>

> > This would, of course, not so much be related to rdoc or ri, but to ruby  
> > itself.
> 
> No, for me the problem is in syck.

You’re right, I was just too lazy to check.  
\_why, are you listening?

– Thomas Uehlinger

> **···**
>
> On Son, 2003-12-28 at 15:34, ts wrote:
> 
> > Guy Decoux