# Ruby/RoR - Lucene integration question? **URL:** \ **Category:** Ruby\ **Created:** [November 19, 2005, 9:49am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-ror-lucene-integration-question/48356 "2005-11-19T09:49:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![phukan\_ruban](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/dec6dc/32.png) [@phukan\_ruban](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/phukan_ruban)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2005, 9:49am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-ror-lucene-integration-question/48356/1 "2005-11-19T09:49:43Z")
Hi, I’ve an application which is built with RoR and a search index in Lucene. I need to be able to integrate Lucene into the RoR app. What is the best way to do so ? I know that rjni is a ruby-java bridge but is it stable ? Also the update at [http://thekode.net/ruby/rjni/](http://thekode.net/ruby/rjni/) seems to indicate that it is no longer under development. Thanks. Ruban. ---
**Author:** ![phukan\_ruban](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/dec6dc/32.png) [@phukan\_ruban](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/phukan_ruban)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2005, 10:13am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-ror-lucene-integration-question/48356/2 "2005-11-19T10:13:51Z")
On Sat, Nov 19, 2005 at 05:49:20PM +0900, Ruban Phukan wrote: > I’ve an application which is built with RoR and a search index in > Lucene. I need to be able to integrate Lucene into the RoR app. What > is the best way to do so ? > > I know that rjni is a ruby-java bridge but is it stable ? Also the > update at [http://thekode.net/ruby/rjni/](http://thekode.net/ruby/rjni/) seems to indicate that it is > no longer under development. rjni is dead. Try rjb: [http://arton.no-ip.info/collabo/backyard/?RubyJavaBridge](http://arton.no-ip.info/collabo/backyard/?RubyJavaBridge) [http://raa.ruby-lang.org/project/rjb](http://raa.ruby-lang.org/project/rjb) You can find an excellent review of Ruby-Java bridges and related tools at [http://jp.rubyist.net/magazine/?0003-RLR](http://jp.rubyist.net/magazine/?0003-RLR) (Japanese). ---
**Author:** ![phukan\_ruban](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/dec6dc/32.png) [@phukan\_ruban](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/phukan_ruban)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2005, 10:28am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-ror-lucene-integration-question/48356/3 "2005-11-19T10:28:56Z")
Just actually read a bit about Lucene after your post, and found that there is a new port called Ferret which you may find interesting. Seems CDBaby went down this same path, [O'Reilly Media - Technology and Business Training](http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/wlg/8168). Might be a more effective shift to move from Lucene to Ferrett then build a Ferrett gem to integrate into Rails. I am sure this would be well received open project in the Rails community 🙂 [http://ferret.davebalmain.com/trac](http://ferret.davebalmain.com/trac) Warmest regards, Nathan. * * * Nathaniel S. H. Brown Toll Free 1.877.4.INIMIT Inimit Innovations Phone 604.724.6624 [www.inimit.com](http://www.inimit.com) Fax 604.444.9942 ---
**Author:** ![phukan\_ruban](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/dec6dc/32.png) [@phukan\_ruban](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/phukan_ruban)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2005, 7:37pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-ror-lucene-integration-question/48356/4 "2005-11-19T19:37:47Z")
iamkris wrote: > I am to embark on a similar project. Just started reading on it. Isn’t > the index file created by Lucene readable from Ruby? As I have understood it, Ferret is a full port of Lucene, so you should be able to use the same index file from Lucene and Ferret. ---
**Author:** ![phukan\_ruban](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/dec6dc/32.png) [@phukan\_ruban](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/phukan_ruban)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2005, 7:34pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-ror-lucene-integration-question/48356/5 "2005-11-19T19:34:21Z")
I am to embark on a similar project. Just started reading on it. Isn’t the index file created by Lucene readable from Ruby? I was planning to index the files via Lucene and use Ruby to read the index file or if I cannot read the index file from Ruby I plan to expose a webservice from the Java side and consume it from the Ruby side. Looking at Nathaniel’s post about CDBaby, I think I am on the right path. I am looking at Ferret too but I think Lucene is more matured. ---
**Author:** ![phukan\_ruban](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/dec6dc/32.png) [@phukan\_ruban](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/phukan_ruban)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 3:44am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-ror-lucene-integration-question/48356/6 "2005-11-20T03:44:30Z")
On 11/20/05, Kris [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > I am to embark on a similar project. Just started reading on it. Isn’t > the index file created by Lucene readable from Ruby? Hi Kris, Andreas is correct in stating that Ferret can read the index from Ruby. > I was planning to > index the files via Lucene and use Ruby to read the index file or if I > cannot read the index file from Ruby I plan to expose a webservice from > the Java side and consume it from the Ruby side. Looking at > Nathaniel’s post about CDBaby, I think I am on the right path. Why use Lucene to index the files when you can use Ferret. If it’s speed you are concerned about, it shouldn’t be a problem by the end of the month. Ferret should be faster than Lucene by then. One good reason I can think of is that you’ll have better support in Java for indexing PDF’s and Microsoft Office Docs. And Unicode is easier in Java. > I am looking at Ferret too but I think Lucene is more matured. This is true in terms of possible bugs. But the index file format and API are the same. Anyway, I wish you the best, whatever choice you make. Cheers, Dave