Rails - May 2006 - How do you use the ''vendor'' directory with 3rd party libraries?

Hi,

I''m wondering how to use the ''vendor'' directory in a
Rails app.  I
know that you can put plugins and engines into the
''vendor/plugins''
directory and that svn:externals can be used for that, but I was
wondering how & where I put a 3rd party library?  My specific case is
the pdf-writer code, which I''d rather have inside my app than as a
Ruby gem (for no particular reason).

What I''ve done is put the following into the svn:externals for the
''vendor'' directory:

pdf-writer svn://rubyforge.org/var/svn/ruby-pdf/tags/v1-1-3/pdf-writer
color-tools svn://rubyforge.org/var/svn/ruby-pdf/tags/version-1-3-0/color-tools

I''ve then done a ''svn update'' and got the code (so
now I have
''vendor/pdf-writer'' and
''vendor/color-tools'') but when I run the
''script/server'' I simply see:

=> Booting WEBrick...

So I ran ''script/console'' to see what was going on and I get:

Loading development environment.
/usr/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.8/rubygems/custom_require.rb:21:in
`require__'': no such file to load -- pdf/writer (MissingSourceFile)
        from /usr/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.8/rubygems/custom_require.rb:21:in
`require''
        from
/usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/activesupport-1.3.1/lib/active_support/dependencies.rb:147:in
`require''
        from ./script/../config/../config/../lib/pdf_render.rb:1
        from /usr/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.8/rubygems/custom_require.rb:21:in
`require''
        from
/usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/activesupport-1.3.1/lib/active_support/dependencies.rb:147:in
`require''
        from ./script/../config/../config/environment.rb:18
        from /usr/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.8/rubygems/custom_require.rb:21:in
`require''
        from /usr/lib/ruby/1.8/irb/init.rb:252:in `load_modules''
        from /usr/lib/ruby/1.8/irb/init.rb:250:in `load_modules''
        from /usr/lib/ruby/1.8/irb/init.rb:21:in `setup''
        from /usr/lib/ruby/1.8/irb.rb:54:in `start''
        from /usr/bin/irb:13
m

This code was working with the pdf-writer installed as a Ruby gem so I
know it''s right, so it must be either (a) me putting those
svn:externals in the wrong place, (b) me missing something in the
configuration setup, (c) me completely missing the point of the vendor
directory and what code can go there.  Do I have to explicitly add the
''vendor/pdf-writer'' and ''vendor/color-tools''
to the require path or
something?

Any help much appreciated, particular a pointer to a webpage that
explains this (which I''ve yet to find).

Matt

I have a similar problem. I am trying to use the ferret gem on a
shared hosting account. I can''t install any gems, so I did a "gem
unpack ferret" in my "vendor" directory.

I get the same error message as Matthew, except with "ferret" not
being found.

On 5/3/06, Matthew Denner <matt.denner@gmail.com>
wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I''m wondering how to use the ''vendor'' directory
in a Rails app.  I
> know that you can put plugins and engines into the
''vendor/plugins''
> directory and that svn:externals can be used for that, but I was
> wondering how & where I put a 3rd party library?  My specific case is
> the pdf-writer code, which I''d rather have inside my app than as a
> Ruby gem (for no particular reason).
>
> What I''ve done is put the following into the svn:externals for the
> ''vendor'' directory:
>
> pdf-writer svn://rubyforge.org/var/svn/ruby-pdf/tags/v1-1-3/pdf-writer
> color-tools
svn://rubyforge.org/var/svn/ruby-pdf/tags/version-1-3-0/color-tools
>
> I''ve then done a ''svn update'' and got the code
(so now I have
> ''vendor/pdf-writer'' and
''vendor/color-tools'') but when I run the
> ''script/server'' I simply see:
>
> => Booting WEBrick...
>
> So I ran ''script/console'' to see what was going on and I
get:
>
> Loading development environment.
> /usr/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.8/rubygems/custom_require.rb:21:in
> `require__'': no such file to load -- pdf/writer
(MissingSourceFile)
>         from /usr/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.8/rubygems/custom_require.rb:21:in
> `require''
>         from
/usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/activesupport-1.3.1/lib/active_support/dependencies.rb:147:in
> `require''
>         from ./script/../config/../config/../lib/pdf_render.rb:1
>         from /usr/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.8/rubygems/custom_require.rb:21:in
> `require''
>         from
/usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/activesupport-1.3.1/lib/active_support/dependencies.rb:147:in
> `require''
>         from ./script/../config/../config/environment.rb:18
>         from /usr/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.8/rubygems/custom_require.rb:21:in
> `require''
>         from /usr/lib/ruby/1.8/irb/init.rb:252:in `load_modules''
>         from /usr/lib/ruby/1.8/irb/init.rb:250:in `load_modules''
>         from /usr/lib/ruby/1.8/irb/init.rb:21:in `setup''
>         from /usr/lib/ruby/1.8/irb.rb:54:in `start''
>         from /usr/bin/irb:13
> m
>
> This code was working with the pdf-writer installed as a Ruby gem so I
> know it''s right, so it must be either (a) me putting those
> svn:externals in the wrong place, (b) me missing something in the
> configuration setup, (c) me completely missing the point of the vendor
> directory and what code can go there.  Do I have to explicitly add the
> ''vendor/pdf-writer'' and
''vendor/color-tools'' to the require path or
> something?
>
> Any help much appreciated, particular a pointer to a webpage that
> explains this (which I''ve yet to find).
>
> Matt
> _______________________________________________
> Rails mailing list
> Rails@lists.rubyonrails.org
> http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails
>

On 5/4/06, Nithin Reddy <jashugan@gmail.com>
wrote:
> I have a similar problem. I am trying to use the ferret gem on a
> shared hosting account. I can''t install any gems, so I did a
"gem
> unpack ferret" in my "vendor" directory.
>
> I get the same error message as Matthew, except with "ferret" not
being found.
I''ve got it working for the PDF writer stuff.  I had to ensure that
the paths were on the config.load_paths:

Rails::Initializer.run do |config|
  # Settings in config/environments/* take precedence those specified here

  # We have several components that are used in the ''vendor''
directory.
  # So we need to add the appropriate load paths.
  config.load_paths += [ ''color-tools'',
''pdf-writer'' ].collect {
|vendor| "#{ RAILS_ROOT }/vendor/#{ vendor }/lib" }
end

To my config/environment.rb.  This gets it working for me, maybe it''ll
help you.

Matt