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