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Long Journey of Ruby Standard Library
Hiroshi Shibata
@hsbt
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Long Journey of Ruby Standard Library

by Hiroshi Shibata

The presentation titled 'Long Journey of Ruby Standard Library' by Hiroshi Shibata at RubyConf Australia 2024 explores the evolution and management of Ruby's standard libraries and ecosystem. Hiroshi, a member of the Ruby core and RubyGems teams, discusses the following key points:

  • Introduction to Ruby Standard Libraries: The presentation begins with a recap of Ruby's standard libraries since Ruby 1.8 and the necessity of using the require method to load them, contrasting immediate classes like Time and String, which do not require loading.

  • Understanding RubyGems: RubyGems has become the default package manager since Ruby 1.9, providing versioned libraries. This year marks the 20th anniversary of RubyGems, which has transformed Ruby's library management by offering metadata support and a reliable way to manage dependencies.

  • Dependency Management with Bundler: Hiroshi delves into how Bundler provides a mechanism for managing gem dependencies defined in a Gemfile, addressing its capabilities for ensuring that all required gems are available during runtime and its enhanced PGraph resolution engine.

  • Key Features of Ruby's Load Mechanism: A clear distinction is made between the original Ruby require method and the enhanced capabilities provided by RubyGems and Bundler. Key features of require_relative and how Ruby searches for required libraries are discussed.

  • Performance Considerations: The speaker highlights the performance trade-offs of using RubyGems versus the default require. RubyGems can be slower due to searching all installed gems, suggesting that developers should avoid automatically loading RubyGems unless necessary.

  • Future Directions: Hiroshi outlines future plans for Ruby 3.4, emphasizing improvements in library functionality, security, and community engagement. He notes the importance of user feedback in shaping enhancements and maintaining a robust ecosystem for developers.

In conclusion, the talk underscores the continuous development journey of Ruby, its standard libraries, and the tools that support developers, reinforcing the community's engagement in Ruby's evolution. Hiroshi expresses gratitude for the audience's support in this journey, emphasizing the exciting future that lies ahead for Ruby developers.

00:00:03.879 I'm happy to take part in my presentation at RubyConf Australia. Today's topic is the journey of the Ruby standard library.
00:00:11.200 We will explore Ruby's standard libraries and core packages.
00:00:18.119 To start, let me introduce myself.
00:00:25.400 I'm Hiroshi Shibata. Please call me Hiroshi.
00:00:31.359 I am an open-source software developer at Anath.
00:00:37.160 I am a proud member of the Ruby core team and the RubyGems and Bundler teams.
00:00:43.719 My work involves developing and maintaining the Ruby programming language and the Ruby ecosystem.
00:00:49.399 Thank you for using Ruby and writing Ruby code every day.
00:00:54.800 I traveled from Japan to present at RubyConf Australia today.
00:01:00.840 As you may know, Japan is the birthplace of the Ruby language, so I'm happy to be here today.
00:01:07.799 Let me introduce my company, Anath, which provides a platform for the construction industry.
00:01:15.479 Our services are built using Ruby and Rails.
00:01:21.280 In Japan, our construction industry has a market size of over 1.5 billion Australian dollars.
00:01:30.880 We need to develop products more quickly using Ruby and Rails.
00:01:37.119 Anath strongly supports the Ruby ecosystem.
00:01:42.200 Now, let's begin by introducing the first topic: the history of standard libraries.
00:01:48.520 First, we need to look at how `require` works in Ruby.
00:01:54.200 This involves classifying Ruby classes and libraries.
00:02:00.439 For immediate classes like `Time`, `String`, or `Hash`, we do not need to require them.
00:02:06.640 However, standard libraries require you to call the `require` method.
00:02:13.879 We can categorize libraries into Pure Ruby libraries and C extensions.
00:02:20.120 You may need to require C libraries for external libraries provided by different distributions.
00:02:27.959 The `require` method is the most famous way to load additional Ruby code into your Ruby context.
00:02:34.160 If you wish to use RSS, it can be easily loaded using a simple `require` statement.
00:02:40.159 The `require` method returns `true` if successful; if not, it raises a LoadError.
00:02:46.519 Ruby will search for your library in the load path, including your Ruby installation paths.
00:02:53.599 The `require` keyword can also load C extensions.
00:03:00.560 On Linux or macOS, it loads extensions depending on the platform.
00:03:07.560 Lastly, we have `require_relative`, which only looks in the current directory.
00:03:12.640 This explains how Ruby manages its own standard libraries.
00:03:18.920 As of Ruby 1.8, there were over 13 libraries available.
00:03:25.599 However, Ruby 3.3, released on Christmas Day 2023, saw that number decrease to around 185.
00:03:35.560 Today, I will introduce RubyGems.
00:03:41.280 How do Ruby code and core packages differ?
00:03:49.240 In many programming languages, we don't need to write generic algorithms and data structures, thanks to standard libraries.
00:03:58.320 Unfortunately, Ruby has Ruby Application Archive (RAA), which isn't available today.
00:04:04.560 This is a web archive where Ruby programmers could upload their Ruby code.
00:04:10.560 You can download these archives and extract them to install Ruby extensions.
00:04:16.960 To use libraries from RAA, you need to run a Ruby script named `setup.rb` for installation.
00:04:24.639 The `setup.rb` script installs the libraries into the same directory as your Ruby installation.
00:04:31.799 You will often need to run the command as a superuser, or root account.
00:04:37.440 Ruby f is an alternative for RAA, specifically for Ruby libraries.
00:04:44.000 It includes metadata like dependencies, names, and versions.
00:04:50.680 RAA lacks this metadata mechanism.
00:04:59.360 RubyGems has released around 400 G files.
00:05:05.280 Matz decided to make RubyGems the default package manager for Ruby starting with Ruby 1.9.
00:05:11.520 This was a significant decision for us.
00:05:19.760 The first version of RubyGems was released in 2004, which means this year marks its 20th anniversary.
00:05:27.440 After Ruby 1.9, GitHub provided a Gem repository called gems.github.com in the past.
00:05:34.080 However, it closed on March 29, five years ago.
00:05:50.800 RubyC and RubyGems migrated to rubygems.org by 2013 and 2014.
00:05:58.480 Since then, rubygems.org has become our main Ruby library repository.
00:06:04.480 Today, RubyGems can install many gems from rubygems.org.
00:06:11.960 We need to know about Gem specifications in RubyGems.
00:06:18.319 Gem specifications can be accessed using the `gem` command in IRB at any time.
00:06:25.360 For instance, to view the gem specification of a specific gem, you can use IRB.
00:06:31.960 Ruby Gems extend the original Ruby `require` to load gems using their specifications.
00:06:38.680 Unlike the original Ruby `require`, RubyGems can add gem paths even when they don't exist in the load path.
00:06:47.440 This extended `require` is slower than Ruby's original `require` because it searches all installed gems.
00:06:54.320 For example, it takes considerably longer to load a specific gem in the local environment.
00:07:02.240 To optimize performance, we should avoid loading RubyGems automatically.
00:07:09.200 The Bundler provides the capability of dependency resolution via a Gemfile.
00:07:16.720 You should specify Gem sources in your Gemfile to use private gem servers.
00:07:23.160 Then, you can specify gem names along with version requirements.
00:07:30.360 The `Bundler` generates a Gemfile.lock file that lists all dependencies.
00:07:36.960 It includes details like architecture and OS version.
00:07:44.080 Dependency resolution in Bundler allows for consistent environments.
00:07:51.680 However, RubyGems doesn't support locking within a Ruby process.
00:07:58.960 Bundler ensures necessary gems are available during application runtime.
00:08:05.440 Now, let's discuss how the dependency resolution engine works.
00:08:11.840 Bundler employs a resolution engine called PGraph since version 2.4.
00:08:19.200 This version allows for faster resolutions compared to the older Marin engine.
00:08:27.440 The PGraph code works even in simple dependency cases.
00:08:34.560 For example, if you have gems with dependencies, you will declare them in your Gemfile.
00:08:41.760 Bundler uses this information for resolution.
00:08:49.680 You pass this source definition to an instance of the `PGraph` class for building the resolution.
00:08:56.240 Finally, the `solve` method can be called for the resolution result.
00:09:03.919 This process can illustrate selection cases involving gem versions.
00:09:10.440 Consider a case where versions attempt to resolve successfully.
00:09:17.200 If a specified version is present, it will return that as a solution.
00:09:23.680 If conflicts arise, the process will raise a failure exception.
00:09:30.240 We will explore a second more complex example now.
00:09:37.680 When you have multiple versions of gems, dependency resolution gets trickier.
00:09:43.440 This may lead to situations where dependencies cannot be satisfied simultaneously.
00:09:50.240 Consider approaching this process with the understanding of PGraph output.
00:09:56.840 To ensure robust dependency resolution, consider the interdependencies of your gems.
00:10:04.000 If a specific dependency cannot be matched, you may receive dependency errors.
00:10:10.240 In this process, an example where a gem with conflicting dependencies might break.
00:10:19.200 It's vital to define your constraints carefully to avoid resolution failures.
00:10:26.480 A deeper investigation may expose dependency problems that have been overlooked.
00:10:32.480 The key to avoiding issues arises through understanding your gem's relationships.
00:10:40.000 To explore further, we need to look at the evolution of PGraph.
00:10:47.800 With each RubyGems version, there's been progress in library management.
00:10:54.320 Now let's further analyze the investigation performed by Bundler.
00:11:01.720 Bundler provides methods to manage gems and their versions within applications.
00:11:08.480 Let’s clarify the core difference between Ruby standard libraries and RubyGems.
00:11:15.360 Standard libraries are bundled with Ruby; RubyGems operate independently and must be managed.
00:11:22.960 Each mechanism allows for a robust ecosystem that developers can leverage.
00:11:30.240 As I mentioned, the performance impact of extended `require` warrants thought.
00:11:37.760 While it's essential, one must balance performance with functionality when making decisions.
00:11:43.760 In the future, as Ruby evolves, expect enhancements to both RubyGems and Bundler.
00:11:50.320 There’s a strong focus on community engagement and expanding the contributors.
00:11:57.520 Collaborative efforts on open source projects continue to be a goal for Ruby.
00:12:04.640 With these strategies, we can build a more robust framework moving forward.
00:12:11.360 Our ultimate goal remains to enhance the user experience with Ruby.
00:12:17.680 Thank you for your attention as we move forward.
00:12:24.440 Remember to prepare for the challenges ahead.
00:12:31.840 The journey for Ruby will be an exciting one filled with opportunities.
00:12:39.760 Now, I will introduce some of the exciting features in the latest release.
00:12:46.360 An evolution of Ruby's standard library awaits us as we enter the future.
00:12:53.200 We have plans to improve functionality and security across libraries.
00:13:01.200 This focus aligns with our commitment to the community’s needs.
00:13:08.480 Your feedback has been invaluable in shaping these changes.
00:13:15.520 I hope you enjoyed today's discussion.
00:13:22.720 We're gearing up for Ruby 3.4 with exciting features and enhancements.
00:13:30.040 Our dedication to Ruby remains unwavering as we engage with the community.
00:13:37.920 My goal is to develop Ruby into the best programming language for everyone.
00:13:45.120 In conclusion, I appreciate your time and support for Ruby.
00:13:52.400 Thank you for being part of this journey.
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