How to compile Ruby?

Question

Is there a tool that can allow me to compile Ruby code so that it runs somewhat faster?

For example, I have heard that there is a tool for Python called \"pyc\" tha

Answer 1

The following "selfcontained" ruby test-case is based on the examples from this very thread, from the comment/answer of the user named illusionist.

#!/usr/bin/env ruby
#==========================================================================
# This file is in public domain.
# The code of this file is based on the code fragments at the
# 2018_12_09 version of the:
#
#     https://stackoverflow.com/questions/5902334/how-to-compile-ruby
#
# This file has been tested with the ruby version
#
#     ruby 2.5.1p57 (2018-03-29 revision 63029) [x86_64-linux]
#
#-----start--of--the--boilerplate------------------------------------------

s_fp_home=ENV["HOME"].to_s
s_fp_tmp=s_fp_home+"/tmp" # using /tmp can be a security risk
s_fp_demofolder=s_fp_tmp+"/ruby_bytecode_usage_demo_01"

def create_folder_if_needed(s_fp_in)
   if !Dir.exists? s_fp_in
      Dir.mkdir(s_fp_in)
      if !Dir.exists? s_fp_in
         raise(Exception.new("\n\n Folder creation failed.\n"+
         "GUID=='d6e409cb-e072-4441-9421-22630190c2e7'\n"))
      end # if
   end # if
end # create_folder_if_needed
create_folder_if_needed(s_fp_tmp)
create_folder_if_needed(s_fp_demofolder)

s_rand=""
7.times{s_rand<<("_"+rand(100).to_s)}

s_fp_bytecode=s_fp_demofolder+"/awesome_bytecode"+s_rand
s_fp_src=s_fp_demofolder+"/x"+s_rand+".rb"

if File.exists? s_fp_src
   raise(Exception.new("\n\n This file should not exist yet.\n"+
   " s_fp_src=="+s_fp_src+"\n"+
   "GUID=='43ab3d45-1324-47af-9441-22630190c2e7'\n"))
end # if
IO.write(s_fp_src,"puts('');puts('Greetings from bytecode!');puts('')")
if !File.exists? s_fp_src
   raise(Exception.new("\n\n The file \n"+s_fp_src+"\n is missing.\n"+
   "GUID=='4aeb5e54-efe0-4111-a851-22630190c2e7'\n"))
end # if


#-----start--of--the--core--of--the--demo----------------------------------

bytecode_out = RubyVM::InstructionSequence.compile_file(s_fp_src)
IO.binwrite(s_fp_bytecode, bytecode_out.to_binary)

bytecode_in = IO.binread(s_fp_bytecode)
instruction_from_byte_code = RubyVM::InstructionSequence.load_from_binary(bytecode_in)
instruction_from_byte_code.eval

#==========================================================================