API Usage

API Usage

Library, as the name make clear, objectifies the concept of a Ruby library, which naturally means the underlying API has a Library class.

The basics of the Library API are fairly simple. Given a location on disc that houses a Ruby library, e.g. projects/hello, a new Library instance can be created like any other object, using new.

    mylib = Library.new('projects/hello')

With a library object in hand, we can require or load files from that library.

    mylib.require 'world'

Or look at information about the library.

    mylib.name     #=> 'hello'
    mylib.version  #=> '1.0.0'

Crating a library object vianew gives us a one-off object. But to persist the library and make it available by name in the global Ledger, we can use instance constructor instead.

    Library.instance('projects/hello')

Or, delving down a bit deeper into the belly of system, one could simply feed the path to the master Ledger instance.

    $LEDGER << 'projects/hello'

Both have the same exact effect. Our library will then be available via Library's various look-up methods. There are a few of these. One of these is the Kernel method library.

    library('hello')

Another is Library.[] class method.

    Library['hello']

There are many other useful Library methods, see the API Documentation for additional details.