source: chunker/README @ e5c705047540

Preface:

    Ruby provides an automatic constant called DATA, which is an IO object
    that references all text in the current file under an __END__ token.

    I find it convenient to use the __END__ area to store all sorts of
    stuff, rather than have to worry about distributing separate files.


The problem:

    The DATA constant is determined from whatever ruby believes $0 to be.
    It doesn't work inside of other required libraries, so you'll see stuff
    like this all the time:

    END = File.open( __FILE__ ).read.split( /^__END__/, 2 ).last

    It works, but it's more work than I want to do.


A workaround:

    Chunker solves this by parsing __END__ tokens for you, and making it
    available in the form of a 'DATA_END' constant.  It installs this
    constant into the class that includes Chunker, so you can use it again
    and again, assuming you use a different file for each class.

    It also automatically parses out other things that look like tokens, so
    you can easily have multiple, distinct documents all embedded into the
    __END__ block.


Usage:

    There is no direct interface to Chunker.  Just include it from a
    class to have that file's __END__ data blocks magically become DATA_*
    IO constants within that class.


Example:

    This produces the string "Yep.\n".


        require 'chunker'
        class Foom
            include Chunker
        end

        puts Foom.new.class.const_get( :DATA_WICKED ).read

        __END__
        Stuff in the END block!
        __WOW__
        Ultimate success!
        __WICKED__
        Yep.