On Wed, 19 Jul 2006, Charlie Savage wrote:

> From my experience using both tool chains on Windows (for the ruby-prof
> extension and SWIG-based extensions for GEOS and GDAL).
>
> * You can build Ruby extensions using MingW that run against Ruby built
> with VC++.  I've done this with Ruby 1.8.2/1.8.4, various MingW releases
> and VC++ 2003 and VC++ 2005.  This used to require changing a small bug
> in ruby.h for Ruby 1.8.2, but that bug has been fixed with 1.8.4.  For
> more info see
> http://rubyforge.org/tracker/?func=detail&atid=1698&aid=2206&group_id=426.

try compiling an extension that uses isacii (narray is one such).  it will
fail at runtime due to imcompatible def in vc++ runtime vs. mingw runtime.


> My recommendation:
>
> * Use VC++ 2005 and get Microsoft to tell us how to properly use unmanaged 
> assemblies so that we can avoid dll hell
>
> * Make sure that mkrf  supports building Ruby extensions
> "out-of-the-box" on Windows using MingW if you have it installed.

this would be nice except that core dumps/link failures will result!  ;-)


-a
-- 
suffering increases your inner strength.  also, the wishing for suffering
makes the suffering disappear.
- h.h. the 14th dali lama