Read ruby syntax in java

Question

I have a tool backed by Velocity templates which statically creates a file (Ruby like syntax) after capturing inputs from Web App for use with some other tool (Vagrant - built in Ruby). However, now I wish to support the reverse of what is being done till now so that I can browse a previously created Vagrant file in my tool and have the settings defined there-in populate my Java Beans and end up at the Web App's UI.

Is there any way to interpret the Ruby Syntax like:

config.vm.define :firstMachine do |master|
        master.vm.hostname = "boxupp.test.first"
        master.vm.box = "Ubuntu"
        master.vm.box_url = "http://www.google.com"


        master.vm.provider "virtualbox" do |prov|
            prov.customize ["modifyvm", :id, "--memory", "384"]
        end
end

and populate the corresponding values in the Java Beans.

I stumbled across JRuby but it looks like another Scripting platform.

Thanks for your time !!

Answer 1

If you just want to read / parse the syntax, then you would need to write (or find) a Ruby parser written in Java.

If you mean interpret ... as in execute / run ... Ruby code in Java, then you either need:

• a Ruby interpreter that you can call from Java; see https://github.com/jruby/jruby/wiki/JRubyAndJavaCodeExamples

• or a way to turn Ruby code into a real Java method; see https://github.com/jruby/jruby/wiki/GeneratingJavaClasses

---

I stumbled across JRuby but it looks like another Scripting platform.

Ermm ... it is an implementation of the Ruby language.