# ruby-ffi http://wiki.github.com/ffi/ffi

## Description

Ruby-FFI is a ruby extension for programmatically loading dynamic
libraries, binding functions within them, and calling those functions
from Ruby code. Moreover, a Ruby-FFI extension works without changes
on Ruby and JRuby. Discover why should you write your next extension
using Ruby-FFI [here](http://wiki.github.com/ffi/ffi/why-use-ffi).

## Features/problems

* Intuitive DSL
* Supports all C native types
* C structs (also nested), enums and global variables
* Callbacks from C to ruby
* Automatic garbage collection of native memory

## Synopsis

```ruby
require 'ffi'

module MyLib
extend FFI::Library
ffi_lib 'c'
attach_function :puts, [ :string ], :int
end

MyLib.puts 'Hello, World using libc!'
```

For less minimalistic and more sane examples you may look at:

* the samples/ folder
* the examples on the [wiki](http://wiki.github.com/ffi/ffi)
* the projects using FFI listed on this page (http://wiki.github.com/ffi/ffi/projects-using-ffi)

## Requirements

* You need a sane building environment in order to compile the extension.

## Installation

From rubygems:

    [sudo] gem install ffi

or from the git repository on github:

    git clone git://github.com/ffi/ffi.git
    cd ffi
    rake gem:install

## License

See LICENSE file.

## Credits

The following people have submitted code, bug reports, or otherwide contributed to the success of this project:

* Alban Peignier <alban.peignier@free.fr>
* Aman Gupta <aman@tmm1.net>
* Andrea Fazzi <andrea.fazzi@alcacoop.it>
* Andreas Niederl <rico32@gmx.net>
* Andrew Cholakian <andrew@andrewvc.com>
* Antonio Terceiro <terceiro@softwarelivre.org>
* Brian Candler <B.Candler@pobox.com>
* Brian D. Burns <burns180@gmail.com>
* Bryan Kearney <bkearney@redhat.com>
* Charlie Savage <cfis@zerista.com>
* Chikanaga Tomoyuki <nagachika00@gmail.com>
* Hongli Lai <hongli@phusion.nl>
* Ian MacLeod <ian@nevir.net>
* Jake Douglas <jake@shiftedlabs.com>
* Jean-Dominique Morani <jdmorani@mac.com>
* Jeremy Hinegardner <jeremy@hinegardner.org>
* Jesús García Sáez <blaxter@gmail.com>
* Joe Khoobyar <joe@ankhcraft.com>
* Jurij Smakov <jurij@wooyd.org>
* KISHIMOTO, Makoto <ksmakoto@dd.iij4u.or.jp>
* Kim Burgestrand <kim@burgestrand.se>
* Lars Kanis <kanis@comcard.de>
* Luc Heinrich <luc@honk-honk.com>
* Luis Lavena <luislavena@gmail.com>
* Matijs van Zuijlen <matijs@matijs.net>
* Matthew King <automatthew@gmail.com>
* Mike Dalessio <mike.dalessio@gmail.com>
* NARUSE, Yui <naruse@airemix.jp>
* Park Heesob <phasis@gmail.com>
* Shin Yee <shinyee@speedgocomputing.com>
* Stephen Bannasch <stephen.bannasch@gmail.com>
* Suraj N. Kurapati <sunaku@gmail.com>
* Sylvain Daubert <sylvain.daubert@laposte.net>
* Victor Costan
* beoran@gmail.com
* ctide <christide@christide.com>
* emboss <Martin.Bosslet@googlemail.com>
* hobophobe <unusualtears@gmail.com>
* meh <meh@paranoici.org>
* postmodern <postmodern.mod3@gmail.com>
* wycats@gmail.com <wycats@gmail.com>
* Wayne Meissner <wmeissner@gmail.com>