:lib in config.gem

Rails
1

Hi – I’m confused what :lib in config.gem().

When do I need it to specify?
What should I specify? I know that I need to put the name of the
library, but the name is always the same with the gem name?

Also do I need to add “require ‘the_library’” when I actually use it
somewhere in Rails? Or does the config.gem() runs “require” statement
as well?

Sorry for the stupid questions.

  • Jon
2

Hi Jon,

rails automatically requires a gem loaded by config.gem. how does
rails know what to require? That’s what you specify with :lib. If you
do not specify :lib, rails tries to require the name of the gem.

so, for example requiring the simple-navigation gem:

config.gem ‘simple-navigation’

tries to require ‘simple-navigation’, which does not work, so you have
to specify

config.gem 'simple-navigation, :lib => ‘simple_navigation’

  • Andi
3

Hi Jon,

Another instance where you will need to explicitly use the :lib option
is for gems you download and install from GitHub, where gem names are
typically prefixed with the author’s name:

config.gem “greatseth-mediainfo”, :lib => ‘mediainfo’

Peter

4

On Sat, Oct 10, 2009 at 11:07 PM, Hunt J. [email protected]
wrote:

Sorry for the stupid questions.

In short, if the gem name differs from the library name that one would
require, then you’ll need to tell Rails by specifying the name of this
library
like

config.gem “gem-name”, :lib => “lib-name”

For example,

config.gem “sqlite3-ruby”, :lib => “sqlite3”
config.gem “aws-s3”, :lib => “aws/s3”

Good luck,

-Conrad

5

Peter Vandenberk wrote:

Hi Jon,

Another instance where you will need to explicitly use the :lib option
is for gems you download and install from GitHub, where gem names are
typically prefixed with the author’s name:

config.gem “greatseth-mediainfo”, :lib => ‘mediainfo’

Peter

What about :lib false? I read somewhere that by using this the gem
doesn’t actually load or something? I read this here:
Finally getting GetText to work with Rails 2.2 | require 'brain'.
Can someone explain this please?

Thanks in advance!