Calling Python from Ruby

Question

I have a compiled Python library and API docs that I would like to use from Ruby.

Is it possible to load a Python library, instantiate a class defined in it and call methods on that object from Ruby?

Answer 1

This article gives some techniques for running Ruby code from Python which should also be applicable in the reverse direction (such as XML-RPC or pipes) as well as specific techniques for running Python code from Ruby. In particular rubypython or Ruby/Python look like they may do what you want.

Answer 2

It sounds like you would want to use something like Apache Thrift which allows either your python or your ruby code to be a server/client and call each other. http://thrift.apache.org/

You can instantiate your objects in ruby and or in python based on your thrift definition. This is an example from the thrift website.

struct UserProfile {     1: i32 uid,     2: string name,     3: string blurb   }   service UserStorage {     void store(1: UserProfile user),     UserProfile retrieve(1: i32 uid)   } 

Basically your ruby or python will be able to call store() and retrieve() and create UserProfile objects etc.