Rails core - Jun 2006 - rubygems support for rails plugins (patch)

Rails committers, (feedback from others welcome)

Would you accept a patch--in principle, obviously the implementation
matters--that would:

1. allow Rails to load a plugin from gem
2. permit the plugin script to install them
3. give the plugin generator''s default Rake file the ability to
package and publish a gem
4. introduce freeze/unfreeze for plugins

Why?

- RubyGems''s handling of dependencies and updates is mature.
- When I am writing my own plugin I want the source in my project, but
when I am using other people''s code I want to express that as an
application dependency.
- Some Rails plugins have a life outside of Rails, e.g. models that
get used by non Rails apps.

Thanks,

(BTW please forgive the cross-post. Jamis suggested that the rails
list was not the best place for this.)
--
John-Mason Shackelford

Software Developer
Pearson Educational Measurement

2510 North Dodge St.
Iowa City, IA 52245
ph. 319-354-9200x6214
john-mason.shackelford@pearson.com
http://pearsonedmeasurement.com

On Jun 16, 2006, at 1:26 PM, John-Mason P. Shackelford
wrote:
> Rails committers, (feedback from others welcome)
>
> Would you accept a patch--in principle, obviously the implementation
> matters--that would:
Yes. Gems are a great fit and the reason we''ve pushed back on  
proposals such as dependency management (wheel redux).

> 1. allow Rails to load a plugin from gem
How does this look?
Is there a manifest of gem plugins + versions in vendor plugins?
A ''stub'' plugin per gem?
> 2. permit the plugin script to install them
How can the script distinguish rails plugin gems?

script/generate looks for a _generator suffix -- brittle and ugly.

Gems could use richer metadata here (even as simple as tags.)
Another way is to host a plugins-only gemserver at  
plugins.rubyonrails.org
> 3. give the plugin generator''s default Rake file the ability to
> package and publish a gem
> 4. introduce freeze/unfreeze for plugins
Cool.

> Why?
>
> - RubyGems''s handling of dependencies and updates is mature.
> - When I am writing my own plugin I want the source in my project, but
> when I am using other people''s code I want to express that as an
> application dependency.
> - Some Rails plugins have a life outside of Rails, e.g. models that
> get used by non Rails apps.
I agree. I''m interested to see how RubyGems manages the task.

Best,
jeremy