Feature #11084: Use rb-readline instead of ext/readline

• Status: Rejected
• Assignee: hsbt (Hiroshi SHIBATA)
• Target version: -

[hsbt (Hiroshi SHIBATA)]

Users who want to build ruby needs to prepare readline library.
Example for https://github.com/sstephenson/ruby-build/wiki#suggested-build-environment

Preparation of building environment is hard for many users.

I propose to use rb-readline that it's pure ruby implementation of readline instead of ext/readline.

[hsbt (Hiroshi SHIBATA)]

• File rb-readline.patch rb-readline.patch added

I missed to attach patch.

[usa (Usaku NAKAMURA)]

I'm neutral about this issue, but I wonder why you don't simply unbundle ext/readline instead of replacing it by rb-readline.

[Hanmac (Hans Mackowiak)]

i don't know about, the binding/implementation using the C lib might be faster and have more features
so using a pure-ruby implementation might not a 100% good idea

[hsbt (Hiroshi SHIBATA)]

• Status changed from Open to Assigned
• Assignee set to hsbt (Hiroshi SHIBATA)

[Eregon (Benoit Daloze)]

https://github.com/ConnorAtherton/rb-readline/blob/master/lib/rbreadline.rb is almost 9000 lines of Ruby code.
How fast does it load?
That seems important for command-line applications

[hsbt (Hiroshi SHIBATA)]

• Status changed from Assigned to Rejected

The last update of rb-readline is 2 years ago. I think we shouldn't replace it.

And @aycabta (aycabta .) try to create the readline alternative. If we replace readline to pure ruby implementation, we should use it.