Rugo Native Module Writer

Rugo Native Module Writer

Write multi-file .rugo libraries that consumers load via require and with.

Directory Layouts

Flat (simple libraries)

rugh/
  client.rugo          # → client namespace
  issue.rugo           # → issue namespace
  repo.rugo            # → repo namespace
  main.rugo            # (optional) entry point for bare require

Consumer: require "rugh" with client, issue

Nested with lib/ (larger libraries)

gummy/
  gummy.rugo           # barrel file: require "lib/db" etc.
  lib/
    db.rugo            # core module
    sql.rugo           # helper module
    fts.rugo           # extension module

Consumer: require "gummy" with db — the with clause checks the root first, then lib/ as fallback.

Which to choose

• Flat: when modules are independent or loosely coupled (rugh: client, issue, repo)
• lib/: when there's a clear public API module backed by internal helpers (gummy: db is public, sql/fts are internal)

Module Resolution Rules

require "dir" (bare, no with)

Resolves entry point: <dirname>.rugo → main.rugo → sole .rugo file. A file always takes precedence over a directory of the same name.

require "dir" with mod1, mod2

Each name loads <name>.rugo from the directory root. If not found, checks lib/<name>.rugo. Root takes precedence over lib/.

Nested requires pass through

When commands.rugo requires mods/alpha and mods/beta, those namespaces (alpha, beta) are visible to the file that requires commands. They keep their own namespaces — they do NOT get re-namespaced under commands.

Barrel files

A barrel file (e.g., gummy.rugo) that only contains require statements exposes the inner namespaces to the consumer. The barrel file itself has no namespace unless it defines its own functions.

API Patterns

Structs with methods (idiomatic)

Structs are the preferred way to build module APIs:

# mydb.rugo
use "sqlite"

struct DB
  conn
end

def DB.exec(sql)
  return sqlite.exec(self.conn, sql)
end

def DB.close()
  sqlite.close(self.conn)
end

def open(path)
  return DB(sqlite.open(path))
end

Consumer calls through the namespace: mydb.open(path), mydb.exec(db, sql), mydb.close(db).

Hash-object pattern (closures)

An alternative when you want method calls directly on the object (without the namespace prefix):

def open(path)
  conn = sqlite.open(path)

  handle = {}

  handle["query"] = fn(sql)
    return sqlite.query(conn, sql)
  end

  handle["close"] = fn()
    sqlite.close(conn)
  end

  return handle
end

The consumer calls db.open(path) to get a handle, then handle.query(sql), handle.close().

Record pattern — augment data with methods

def make_record(conn, table, row)
  row["save"] = fn()
    # update using captured conn, table, row["id"]
  end

  row["delete"] = fn()
    sqlite.exec(conn, "DELETE FROM " + table + " WHERE id = ?", row["id"])
  end

  return row
end

Factory chain

Each layer returns closures: open() → handle with model() → model with insert() → record with save()/delete().

Cross-Module Dependencies

Modules can call functions from sibling modules they require:

# lib/db.rugo
require "sql"
require "fts"

def _where(conn, table, conditions)
  clause = sql.build_where(conditions)    # call into sql namespace
  # ...
end

Dependencies are resolved at call time, not load time. This means a module must require its own dependencies — don't rely on the barrel file having loaded them.

Namespace Gotchas

Variable shadows namespace

After assignment, a variable with the same name as a namespace takes over for dot access:

require "gummy" with db

# Before assignment: db.open() calls the db namespace function
conn = db.open(":memory:")

# After assignment: db.model() is a dot-call on the conn hash
Users = conn.model("users", {name: "text"})

This is correct and intentional — local variables shadow namespaces. Use a different variable name if you need continued access to the namespace.

Private functions

Prefix with _ by convention. They compile to Go functions and ARE accessible, but signal "don't use this":

def _make_model(conn, name, columns)
  # internal
end

def open(path)
  # public API
end

Namespace conflicts

• A require namespace cannot conflict with a use module (e.g., can't have both use "os" and a require namespace os)
• A require namespace cannot conflict with an import Go bridge alias
• with and as are mutually exclusive on the same require

Conventions

• One public entry point function per module (e.g., db.open(), client.make())
• Return hashes with closure "methods" for stateful APIs
• Put use and require at the top of each file — they must be top-level
• Document usage in a comment at the top of each module file
• Each module file should declare its own dependencies (don't rely on load order)
• Keep barrel files thin — just require statements, no logic

Testing

Write rats tests that exercise the module through the public API:

use "test"

rats "module works end to end"
  tmpdir = test.tmpdir()
  script = <<~SCRIPT
    require "mylib" with core
    result = core.do_thing("input")
    puts(result)
  SCRIPT
  test.write_file(tmpdir + "/test.rugo", script)
  result = test.run("rugo run " + tmpdir + "/test.rugo")
  test.assert_eq(result["status"], 0)
  test.assert_eq(result["output"], "expected")
end

For modules using absolute paths, use import "path/filepath" and filepath.abs() to construct paths.

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