• 2002/04/28: Version 0.1.0, 'proof of concept' release.
  

Content

Overview

• Better integration of Scintilla: brace highlighting, folding of classes, methods.., auto completion,  call tips,...
• Dynamic menus: menus would be created from Ruby, removing the need to edit resource to add new commands
• HTML Form as Dialog Box (using IE integration ?)
• Console output (when using 'eval')
• Project management facilities (a simple list of files, or a tree view ?)
• Unit testing framework integration: jump to assertion failure (and automatic generation of the require all test files for test/unit)
• ???
  

Requirement

• Operating system : Windows 9x/NT/2000...
• MFC DLLs (you probably already have those)
  
• Ruby 1.6.7 (I'm using the ms-win32 version, which can be downloaded here . It should work with other version (?) )
  
• Compiler: Visual C++ 6.0 (only required for source code compilation, not required to use Practical Ruby) VC++ 5.0 for release previous to 1.5.4.
• Optional (a precompiled version is provided with the source): Scintilla Edit Control for Windows
  

Licensing

Download

Practical Ruby 0.1.0 binary [~400Ko]
Practical  Ruby 0.1.0 source code [~320Ko]

About version numbering

Compiling Project Ruby

• You must have Ruby 1.6.7 installed. A version can be downloaded here for windows
• The path to the include and library files must be added in VC++. This can be done in the 'option/directories' tab. For Ruby 1.6.7 mswin32, both were in:
    $ruby\lib\ruby\1.6\i586-mswin32, where $ruby is ruby top directory.
• Open  src/PraticalRuby/PraticalRuby.dsw in VC++
• Make PraticalRuby the active project
• Compile and run

Project Ruby Internal

Ruby C++ Wrapper

• CppRuby.h: a very simple object layer above ruby API. Helps getting clearer and more compact codes:
    Object error = rb_gv_get("$!");
   String backtrace = Array(error.methodCall( "backtrace" )).join( "\n\t" );
• RubyCppTools.h/.cpp: the equivalent of rb_protect, but use functor instead function pointer. Allow more than one parameter to be passed. An exception handler is specified to handle ruby exception.
• CppRubyExceptionHandler.h/.cpp: handles rb_protect failure. Handler provided: display dialog box with failure, trace to debug output, or to stderr.
• GcCollectable.h/.cpp: the base class GcCollectableOwner is defined here. It should be inherit by all C++ that reference ruby object. Methods markCollectable() should be overridden to specify which object are referenced.

Ruby Helpers

• RubyTools.h/.cpp: some helpers function to use ruby. Mainly works around VC++ non failure to cast function pointers.
  

Scintilla ruby extension

• RubyExtScintilla.cpp/.h: implements ruby methods ScintillaBase#SendEditorMessage , class ScintillaNotification, a wrapper around Scintilla notification structure, and a helper function that forward a Scintilla notification to a given ruby object after wrapping it.
• script/ScintillaBase.rb: base class for the wrapped Scintilla edit control. Implements the mechanic to send message: type conversion & checking, send message method (implemented in C), specific messages.
• script/ScintillaBridgeGenerator.rb: generates the file ScintillaBridge.rb from file Scintilla.iface which define Scintilla edit control interface.
• script/ScintillaBridge.rb: generated file. For each Scintilla edit control method, it convert the arguments to the correct type and send the message. It also implements a event dispatcher for Scintilla notification.

TraceDebug ruby extension

• RubyExtTraceDebug.h/.cpp: adds method TraceDebug#printInternal to script/TraceDebug.rb. Dump a text to the windows debug stream.
  

GUI/Scintilla Edit Control integration

• EditorView.h/.cpp: implements a CWnd object for Scintilla Edit Control. Forward notification to the ruby EditControl object associated to this class.
• EditorFrame.h/.cpp: MDI child frame around the EditorView. Forward notification from Scintilla Edit Control (it send them to the parent window) back to EditorView.

GUI/Commands integration

• MainFrame.h/.cpp: the main frame of the application. It handles commands event an forward those registered by ruby to ruby. A MainFrame ruby object is automatically created and associated to that object. It also maintains the current active window and keep the ruby MainFrame object up to date concerning that aspect.
• EditorFrame.h/.cpp: detects change in the active state of an MDI frame and forward the state to the main frame.
• script/MainFrame.rb: implements a simple command/action architecture (probably need to be redesigned using ruby features). At the current time, defines handler for copy/cut/paste and undo/redo.
• ActionStatusUpdater.h/cpp: implements ruby class ActionStatusUpdater and defines method enable=, check= and text=. Used to update the state of UI item associated to the actions (delegate to CCmdUI behind the scene).
  

Questions, comments and bugs reports