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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.
