Ruby is pretty hot right now. But it’s really those “gems” that you want to be on the lookout for though. Here, check it out…

A comprehensive guide to finding, creating and using Ruby resources called gems.
RubyGems is a system for managing Ruby software libraries. Ruby code packaged in this manner is called a gem. When you find Ruby software you want to use in a project, gems offer a means of downloading, installing and managing the software.

History

Ruby’s connection with Perl caused converts to ask an obvious question “Where is the CPAN (Comprehensive Perl Archive Network) for Ruby?” If you have done any Perl programming or used Perl software, you likely have downloaded something from CPAN to make the software work. As it is the de facto standard for sharing libraries in Perl, access to CPAN makes it easier to re-use code developed by others. This tool allows the developer to focus on new problems instead of re-inventing the wheel.

As it turns out, package management is not as simple as it sounds. It gets even more complicated when you are trying to solve a problem for a variety of platforms and operating systems (Ruby runs on a *nix/*BSD/Mac OS X/WinX). There have been several attempts at building a working system…. Source: linux journal

Tags: mac, linux, bsd, rubygems, cpan