GoLang has the option to create shared libraries in C, and in this post I will show you how to do it.
Shared libraries are native code files that have a direct interface with the C compiler. You can import them into a Ruby file as a module and use its functions.
go build [OUTPUT_C_FILE] -buildmode=c-shared [IMPUT_GO_FILE]
Here's an example of how to do it:
// my_file.go
package main
import "C"
//export my_add
func my_add(a, b C.int) C.int {
return a + b
}
// This is necessary for the compiler.
// You can add something that will be executed when engaging your library to the interpreter.
func main() {}
Then, you have to execute the build command to create the C shared library.
go build -o my_lib.so -buildmode=c-shared my_file.go
Now, we are ready to import the C library into a Ruby file.
# shared_c_lib.rb
require 'ffi'
module Foo
extend FFI::Library
ffi_lib './my_lib.so'
attach_function :my_add, [:int, :int], :int
end
puts Foo.my_add(2, 2)
# => 4
This process looks to have some limitations but it could help in processes where Ruby is a little slow, and it could help in using the best Go feature, its concurrency using Goroutines.