Feature #11140: Allow rubygems' `require` to handle `autoload` calls

• Status: Closed
• Assignee: tenderlovemaking (Aaron Patterson)
• Target version: -

[tenderlovemaking (Aaron Patterson)]

Right now, rubygems can't handle calls to autoload because autoload will directly call rb_require_safe rather than sending to Kernel::require.

For example:

class A
  autoload :B, 'a/b' # this is in a different Gem
end
A::B

The above code won't work because 'a/b' is in a different gem. I'd like to give rubygems the opportunity to handle requires made through autoload.

I've attached a patch that makes the change.

[jeremyevans0 (Jeremy Evans)]

Considering #5653, should we be making any changes to autoload to make it easier to use, if the intention is to remove it in ruby 3.0? I think before any improvements to autoload should be considered, we first need a firm decision from Matz on autoload's future in ruby.

If Matz decides that autoload will stay in ruby, I'm definitely in favor of autoload calling Kernel::require. But if autoload will be removed in ruby 3.0, I don't think we should make changes like this that would make autoload easier to use. That encourages people to use autoload, which will make updating to ruby 3.0 more painful when the time comes.

[nobu (Nobuyoshi Nakada)]

• Description updated (diff)

It sounds reasonable as -r option also calls Kernel#require method now.

[matz (Yukihiro Matsumoto)]

Accepted. Could you apply the patch, Aaron?

Matz.

• Status changed from Open to Closed

Applied in changeset r50494.

---

• variable.c: Change autoload to call require through Ruby rather
  than directly calling rb_require_safe. This allows things like
  RubyGems to intercept file loading done though autoload.
  [Feature #11140]

• test/ruby/test_autoload.rb: Test for change.

[usa (Usaku NAKAMURA)]

• Status changed from Closed to Assigned
• Assignee set to tenderlovemaking (Aaron Patterson)

Aaron, this commit breaks some tests on ruby/test_require.rb.
Check RubyCI.

[tenderlovemaking (Aaron Patterson)]

Usaku NAKAMURA wrote:

Aaron, this commit breaks some tests on ruby/test_require.rb.
Check RubyCI.

@usa (Usaku NAKAMURA) I'm looking in to it. It seems to be a bug with looking up activated features during autoload. :(

[nobu (Nobuyoshi Nakada)]

Removed that garbage.

[nobu (Nobuyoshi Nakada)]

Since this commit TestAutoload#test_threaded_accessing_constant continuously fails on some Linux distributions.
e.g.: http://rubyci.blob.core.windows.net/ubuntu1404/ruby-trunk/log/20150514T220002Z.fail.html.gz

[usa (Usaku NAKAMURA)]

Any updates?

[tenderlovemaking (Aaron Patterson)]

Is this still failing? I don't see it on RubyCI.org

[hsbt (Hiroshi SHIBATA)]

• Status changed from Assigned to Closed

This patch was already applied.