Overview
These are all concepts from the Ruby language. Below I introduce the meaning of each term and compare it with similar tools, so that readers can understand them.
Ruby
Ruby means ruby (the gemstone); it is the name of a programming language. The logo of the Ruby language is a ruby.
Ruby is an open-source dynamic programming language that values simplicity and efficiency. Its syntax is elegant, it reads naturally, and it is comfortable to write.
The source files of the Ruby language use the .rb extension.
rake and Rakefile
rake is the make-like program of the Ruby language. You can define tasks and source-code dependencies in it.
rake = r(uby’s m)ake
Just as make has a Makefile, rake has the corresponding Rakefile.
Both belong to the category of build tools.
The table is shown below:
| Language | Build tool name | Build tool configuration file |
|---|---|---|
| C | Make | Makefile |
| Ruby | Rake | Rakefile |
gem and gemspec
gem means gemstone, which you can easily associate with Ruby the ruby.
gem is the package management system of Ruby; the command is gem, and the package extension is also .gem, similar to rpm.
However, rpm can only install local packages, and cannot download over the network. Downloading over the network requires yum or dnf.
Likewise, on Debian-based systems the package management system is dpkg, which cannot download over the network. Network downloads require apt.
The gemspec file is the description file of a gem. It contains gem-related information such as package name, version, summary, description, author, and homepage.
Similarly, packaging for dpkg requires a spec file, and packaging for deb requires a control file.
The table is shown below:
| Language | Package management system | Package extension | Local | Network | Description file name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ruby | gem | .gem | ✅ | ✅ | <package-name>.gemspec |
| Red Hat-based | rpm | .rpm | ✅ | ❌ | SPECS/<package-name>.spec |
| Red Hat-based | yum/dnf | .rpm | ❌ | ✅ | - |
| Debian-based | dpkg | .deb | ✅ | ❌ | debian/control |
| Debian-based | apt | .deb | ❌ | ✅ | - |
Note here that the file corresponding to gem is gemspec. Gemfile has nothing to do with gem; it is actually the name of bundler’s configuration file.
bundler, bundle, and Gemfile
bundler is the external dependency management tool for Ruby applications.
bundle is another gem, created to solve the problem of “misspelling bundler as bundle”; its only function is to install bundler, so that the two agree and no error is raised.
The Gemfile file describes the external dependency gems needed to run the related Ruby application, including information such as the source, gem name, and gem version.
When you run bundler install, bundler reads the Gemfile and installs all the dependency gems in one go.
Summary
rake is the build tool of the Ruby language, and its configuration file is the Rakefile.
gem is the package management tool of the Ruby language, and its configuration file extension is .gemspec.
bundler is the external dependency management tool of the Ruby language. It has an alias, “bundle”, and its configuration file is the Gemfile.