mruby is a lightweight implementation of the Ruby programming language designed for embedding and integration into applications, particularly in resource-constrained environments such as embedded systems or game engines. It maintains compatibility with modern Ruby syntax while offering a significantly reduced footprint compared to the standard Ruby interpreter. The system includes its own virtual machine, bytecode compiler, and interactive shell, enabling developers to write, compile, and execute Ruby code efficiently. One of its core strengths is its embeddability, allowing developers to integrate scripting capabilities directly into applications written in C or C++. mruby also includes a package system called mrbgems, which enables modular extension of functionality through additional libraries. It supports compiling Ruby scripts into bytecode or even C source code, providing flexibility for deployment in different environments.
Features
- Lightweight Ruby interpreter designed for embedding
- Compatibility with modern Ruby syntax and features
- Bytecode compilation for efficient execution
- Integration with C and C++ applications
- Modular extension system using mrbgems
- Support for single-file builds through amalgamation