= Backports Library

Would you like to use features of Ruby 1.8.7 without the need of having 1.8.7 installed? Simply

  require 'backports/1.8.7'

All 1.8.7 features are now available! Some of the features of 1.9 are also available with

  require 'backports/1.9'

Finally, some features of rails' active-support are also available with

  require 'backports/rails'
  
If you want them all:

  require 'backports'

== What's inside

All features of 1.8.7 are backported (well, almost all, see the exception list bellow).

Conditions for inclusion of ruby 1.9 and activesupport features:
1. Won't break older code
2. Simple and self-contained

For example, <tt>Module::instance_methods</tt> returns strings in 1.8 and symbols in 1.9; no change can be made without the risk of breaking existing code. Such incompatibilities between 1.8 and 1.9 methods are left unchanged.

More complex features of active-support (even things like <tt>String::pluralize</tt>), won't be included. <tt>require 'activesupport'</tt> if you need them and are not in rails!

== Installation & compatibility

+backports+ is mirrored on Rubyforge and can thus be installed with:

  sudo gem install backports

To use:

  require 'rubygems'
  require 'backports'   # or a subset like "backports/1.8.7"
  # and off you go!

Compatible with Ruby 1.8 & 1.9, jruby and rubinius.

= Complete List of backports

== Ruby 1.8.7

Complete Ruby 1.8.7 backporting. Refer to the official list of changes[http://svn.ruby-lang.org/repos/ruby/tags/v1_8_7/NEWS].

Only exceptions:
* String#gsub
* GC.stress=
* Process.exec
* Array#choice (use Array#sample instead)
* recursive data handling (Array and Hash)

== Ruby 1.9

Additionally, the following Ruby 1.9 have been backported:

* Array
  * +try_convert+

* Enumerable
  * +each_with_object+

* Enumerator
  * +new+ (with block)

* File
  * +binread+
  * +to_path+
  * All class methods accepting filenames will accept files or anything with a #to_path method.

* Hash
  * +try_convert+
  * <tt>default_proc=</tt>

* Kernel
  * +require_relative+

* Object
  * +define_singleton_method+

* Proc
  * +yield+

* String
  * +try_convert+
  * <tt>ascii_only?</tt>
  * +chr+
  * +clear+
  * +codepoints+, +each_codepoint+

+Enumerator+ can be accessed directly (instead of <tt>Enumerable::Enumerator</tt>)

Moreover, a pretty good imitation of BasicObject is available, but it must be required explicitely:

  require 'backports/basic_object'

== Rails

Some generic methods from Rails methods have been copied:

* Enumerable
  * +sum+

* Hash
  * +symbolize_keys+, <tt>symbolize_keys!</tt>
  * +reverse_merge+, <tt>reverse_merge!</tt>

* Module
  * +alias_method_chain+

* Object
  * +try+
  * +returning+

* String
  * +camelize+, +underscore+
  * +dasherize+, +demodulize+
  * +constantize+

= License

+backports+ is released under the terms of the MIT License, see the included LICENSE file.

Author::                 Marc-André Lafortune