by - Preload libraries, accelerate your Ruby processes.

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Preload libraries, accelerate your Ruby processes.

Pitch

Introducing by, a Ruby library preloader that streamlines process startup. Using a client/server model, by loads your libraries in advance, allowing scripts to run faster and more efficiently. Experience significant performance gains by minimizing library loading times and enhancing your workflow without complex setups.

Description

by is a powerful Ruby library preloader that significantly enhances your application's startup speed. It employs a client/server architecture where the server preloads specified libraries, listening on a UNIX socket. When a client connects, the server spawns a worker process that inherits the client's environment, allowing seamless library access and processing of arguments.

Key Features:

Efficient Library Preloading: By preloading libraries using by-server, you can drastically reduce the loading time, allowing Ruby to skip the typical file parsing on startup.
```
$ by-server sequel roda capybara
```
After starting the server, run any Ruby code with libraries ready to go:
```
$ by -e 'p [Sequel, Roda, Capybara]'
[Sequel, Roda, Capybara]
```
Performance Boost: The difference in execution time is remarkable. Loading libraries through by can be up to three times faster than standard Ruby loading:
```
$ /usr/bin/time by -e 'require "sequel"; require "roda"; require "capybara"'
0.08 real         0.05 user         0.03 sys
```
Avoid Rubygems for Even Faster Execution: You can optimize the speed further by operating without RubyGems:
- Create a shell alias or a wrapper script to prepend --disable-gems to your command.
Flexible Argument Handling: by-server allows for versatile argument management, providing capabilities such as running tests or starting an IRB shell efficiently based on the client’s input.

Usage Scenarios:

Testing Frameworks: Perfectly suited for speeding up test environments in production applications. By leveraging this library, tests run faster without the overhead of loading RubyGems.
Multiple Server Instances: Easily run multiple by-server processes concurrently by configuring separate UNIX sockets, maximizing your resource efficiency.

Security Considerations:

While by achieves impressive performance gains, the shared memory model between the server and its workers requires cautious usage, especially with untrusted input.

Conclusion:

The by library is an essential tool for Ruby developers looking to boost performance, particularly when dealing with multiple libraries. Optimize your application’s startup times and streamline your workflow with this innovative solution.

For detailed implementation and to access the source code, visit GitHub - by.