On Mon, Apr 28, 2003 at 08:45:19AM +0900, Rich wrote:
> 
>    Let's start with:
>    
>    I have no clue what a DLL is.
  [snip]
>    I want to write a program in Ruby, and 'compile' it to a DLL.

Well...  if you don't know what a DLL is, how do you you want one? :)
A DLL is a "Dynamic Link Library".  Their purpose is to be called by 
other programs.  For instance, the Gtk grahics toolkit is a DLL (windows 
version).

>     :-) Have I asked for the impossible?
>    

What you are asking is not "impossible", but it stretches the limits of 
current feasibility I think.  DLLs are generally made with C or C++.  
I don't know of any Ruby compiler that will give you a DLL, only of one 
that will give you an executable.


>    It's for Half-Life, the game...
>    I guess HL is a collection of DLL files that communicate,
>    and any Artificial Intelligence (bot) that has been written for
>    HL or CS has to be a DLL.

Any program, including HL, consists of an executable which possibly calls 
one or more DLLs for certain tasks.  I expect that something as large as 
HL has a very large number of DLLs.

I'm confused.  Why do you want to make a DLL out of a Ruby program again?

In Ruby you'd generally make a library, and 'require' it in the Ruby 
program that you are actually interested in.

>    ... and since DLLs (I assume) are normally
>    done with C or C++, and since Ruby is written in C...
>    
>    ... I'm hoping it's not too much to ask for. :-)
>    
>    Where can I start?

First, I need to understand better what it is you intend to do.
What makes you think that you want to make a DLL?  How does that relate 
Half-Life?

Best,
-- 
Daniel Carrera
Graduate Teaching Assistant.  Math Dept.
University of Maryland.  (301) 405-5137