Distributing Ruby Apps on Windows

So, you've developed a Ruby script or application for Windows. You'd like to compile the application into a portable executable file (EXE) that you can easily provide to your users without requiring them to install Ruby and the required libraries. Reach for RubyScript2Exe, Erik Veenstra's Ruby compiler. RubyScript2Exe traces and gathers all the necessary files, including the Ruby interpreter, and 'compiles' them into a single EXE file. You can easily embed images and icon files, and DLLs such as SQLite. RubyScript2Exe is easy to configure, very reliable, and well-documented and supported by the author. Executable files are 3-4mb in size for a typical wxRuby (0.6) application.

UPDATE: I have posted a new article with further details on using RubyScript2Exe, here.

To make compiling your Ruby apps even easier, install LopeSoft's free File Menu Tools and add a new file menu command for RubyScript2Exe. Then just right-click on your Ruby script in Windows explorer and select 'Compile with RubyScript2Exe'.

Speaking of compiling Ruby apps on Windows, keep an eye on the Gardens Point Ruby.NET Compiler project at Australia's Queensland University of Technology. I haven't done much with it yet but it looks promising.

Thanks for stopping by!