TruffleRuby

TruffleRuby is a high-performance implementation of the Ruby programming language built on GraalVM’s Truffle framework. It provides a Ruby runtime implemented in Java and runs on the Java Virtual Machine, leveraging Graal’s just-in-time compiler to optimize Ruby code at runtime. TruffleRuby is part of the GraalVM project and can be used as the Ruby engine in GraalVM to run Ruby applications and libraries alongside other languages supported by GraalVM.

The project emphasizes compatibility with the standard Ruby MRI API and the RubyGems ecosystem, aiming to maximize compatibility with existing Ruby code and libraries. While many pure Ruby programs run on TruffleRuby, support for native C extensions is limited and may require workarounds. The runtime includes a Ruby core library implemented in Java and uses the Graal compiler to optimize hot code paths, for improved performance compared with traditional MRI in certain workloads.

TruffleRuby supports polyglot interop via GraalVM, enabling Ruby code to call and be called from other languages such as JavaScript, Python, or Java within the same process. It can be used for development and deployment in GraalVM environments, including the polyglot features and dynamic compilation options provided by GraalVM.

Development status: TruffleRuby has been under active development with regular updates, focusing on performance improvements, compatibility, and ecosystem support. It is primarily used for experimentation, benchmarking, and projects that benefit from GraalVM’s polyglot capabilities and the JVM-based Ruby runtime.