While the Python interface is very interesting (that is, I would use it if available any time soon), I am wondering if anyone might be working on something similar in Ruby?

Getting out of the compile->link-> run game would be great and even better if it could be in Ruby.

I too would be interested. In fact, I would be interested in working on something like this but need to be pointed in the right direction.

Developer(s), could you give me a quick rundown of what would be required to write something like this, based on your experience with the python libs?

Chad

You need a means of interfacing from Ruby to arbitrary C library files. Python has a module called ctypes which lets you open the libphidget21.so library and call functions from it. You can also open phidget21.dll if running under Windows. That way you can write cross-platform code.

If Ruby supports such an interface, and also supports multi-threading, it should be fairly straightforward. If not, I reckon it would present quite a challenge.

As a matter of interest, does Ruby support an interactive command line environment? This was one of the big attractions of interfacing Python to Phidgets: I find command line tools extremely useful in devolping and testing hardware and software, and none of the officially-supported languages provide this. You could, of course, write your own command line interpreter, but it struck me as easier to interface the Phidgets library to a pre-existing language.

I have had very good results with Python, especially with the new version of the Linux library. However I only have a few Phidgets. To provide general support for any of these languages would obviously involve buying all the available Phidgets! That is really the biggest obstacle to providing anything that might be of use to others.

I wrote a very very simple Ruby C extension to the RFID reader that uses libphidgets. It is still pretty basic though, but it can print out the RFID tags.

Would you be willing to send me how you connected to a phidget with ruby?

Hi,

I'm new to Phidgets and very interrested by there possibilities,
and so, having Ruby bindings would be great !
Ruby is a very modern language, OO, easy of use, pleasant to write.. Plus with Ruby on Rails it provides a very good web framework.
To answer to a question above, yes it has an Interactive Interpreter, and a very powerful one.
I don't know how is done interfacing with C, but ruby already has lots of bindings for lots of libraries, so I think there is an easy way to do.
So, once again,
Please give us some Ruby Bindings !

I just tested it to see if I could use JRuby to access the Java API. Works. I'd not really played with JRuby until now. It is messy for sure...but, If you just want to code in Ruby this'll get you there. Obviously, it does require JRuby and Java...which may be unavailable to you.

Here's some sample code I used to test it:



Depending on what you were trying to do it would probably be worth while building out the Java API to Ruby in whole. I just wanted to see if it would work.

Kit

Thanks, looks interesting. Do you know if it's compatible with Ruby on Rails ?
I found an useful article how to extend Ruby with C there :
http://www.onlamp.com/pub/a/onlamp/2004/11/18/extending_ruby.html

Well, it would be "compatible" if you were running RoR via JRuby in the JVM.

So, I am half-considering getting the phidget library embedded as a c-extension - and more importantly a gem installable library. Looking at the number of views on this thread I'm guessing there are a few folks coming here looking for a Ruby-based means for interacting with Phidgets.

Let me know if anyone is really interested in this and getting 'er done in community-based fashion.

Kit

kitplummer@gmail.com

I just released a phidgets gem on RubyForge. It uses DL to call the C functions in the Phidgets shared library, so that will need to be installed for it to work. I have tested it on both Linux and Windows. At this point I have only implemented the Interface Kit and RFID classes because I don't actually have any other phidgets to test it with, so any help with implementing/testing other classes would be appreciated. I have tried to make it as easy as possible to add new classes by putting as much as possible into the Common class (from which the specific phidget classes are derived). I will try to add some documentation in the next couple weeks.

To install just run "gem install phidgets".

Here is an example of how to use it:

Any news from these bindings ?

Any chance you'd be willing to share your code?

Just tested the Phidgets Ruby Gem with the 0/0/4 InterfaceKit.
Works great. Thanks csdehaan!

If you are using the windows ruby installer, make sure when you install ruby to select the Enable RubyGems option in the component selection box. I must have forgot that when I installed my previous ruby build.

Yes. The code is on RubyForge and is released under the GPL. The project name is phidgets.