Adding Annotations to JRuby Using Ruby

I love how meta-programmable Ruby is.

JRuby doesn't support annotations because Ruby doesn't support annotations. So what! We can extend Ruby to add something like annotations:

class JPABean
def self.inherited(clazz)
  @@annotations = {}
end
def self.anno(annotation)
  @@last_annotation = annotation
end

def self.method_added(sym)
  @@annotations[sym] = @@last_annotation
end

def self.get_annotation(sym)
  return @@annotations[sym]
end
end

Given this, we can do things like the following:

class MyBean :sql => "SELECT * FROM stuff WHERE name = 'foo'"
def foo; end

anno :field => :hello_id
attr :hello

anno :field => :bar_in_table
attr_accessor :bar
end

And here's some output from the resulting class:

p MyBean.get_annotation(:foo)
p MyBean.get_annotation(:hello)
p MyBean.get_annotation(:bar=)

=>

{:sql=>"SELECT * FROM stuff WHERE name = 'foo'"}
{:field=>:hello_id}
{:field=>:bar_in_table}

So as you can see we really do have all the necessary requirements to annotate classes. Now what if we just had MyBean be a java.lang.Object extension and stuffed the annotations into the resulting generated class? We can already create real Java classes in this way, but with the above syntax and a little magic in the JRuby Java integration later, we've got annotation support in on Java classes too. This should enable things like Hibernate, JPA, and JUnit 4 to work with JRuby's Ruby-based classes. Or at least, I believe it to be possible. It just requires a little work to add annotation information to the resulting generated classes.

I've planted the seed here and on the JRuby dev list...let's see if it germinates.

JVM Languages: The Future

I've started a Google Group for all those interested in the future of alternative languages (i.e. not Java) on the JVM. A number of you knew this was coming, and I've already invited folks that expressed an interest in my RedMonk Unconference session at JavaOne. The rest of you are also invited.

Please plan to talk shop about language implementation strategies, pain points on the JVM, and what we can do to build a common set of libraries, frameworks, and patterns to ease and improve the Java platform's support for many languages. The time for action is now, my friends, and we have a wealth of information across all our language projects to draw from. We must come together to build a stronger base for everyone to stand upon.

I welcome you to the future.