CODEWITHSUNDEEP
rubyrubygemsbundler
Jakub Arnold
Jakub Arnold

Reputation: 87260

How can I install a gem as if it was specified in a Gemfile?

I want to install a gem via gem install, but I need it to resolve with dependencies of the current project.

Basically I want the functionality that bundler gives me when I specify gem 'xyz' in a Gemfile, but I don't want to add that specific gem into the Gemfile.

I tried doing bundle exec gem install ... but it doesn't seem to work.

edit: The reason why I don't want to add it to the Gemfile is that it might be something like metric_fu, metrical, saikuro, rails_best_practices, etc. Simply gems that are kind of utility use and might only cluttler the project.

I might only want to use them temporarily, or install them, try out, if it doesn't work out the way I want do rvm gemset empty and bundle install again to clean up.

Upvotes: 1

Views: 2263

Answers (3)

ian
ian

Reputation: 12251

A slightly different approach is, if you're using version control, such as Git, to create a new branch and install the gems. If it doesn't work out, uninstall the gem (I'm not sure this will be done by bundle update on the old branch) and trash the branch. If it does, work, merge your stuff into the old the branch.

Though I do believe the other answers and comments have some very good points.

Upvotes: 0

yfeldblum
yfeldblum

Reputation: 65455

The point of Bundler is, in part, to prevent you from doing things like that (to prevent you from injecting gems from outside when your project doesn't declare them).

Looking for a way of doing that is looking for a bug in Bundler. If you did manage to find some way of skirting Bundler's enforcement mechanisms, you should probably not use it; instead, you may consider filing it as a bug with Bundler's issue tracker.

Now we come to the real questions: what can you do? and what should you do?

  • You should use either RVM gemsets or Bundler to isolate your application and its gem dependencies. You don't need both. I would recommend Bundler for this purpose over RVM gemsets.

  • You should add to your Gemfile any gems that you want to use and that integrate with your application (i.e., that either load your application or that are loaded as part of your application). This is not a requirement for any gems that refrain from integrating with your application.

  • You should refrain from committing a changed Gemfile or Gemfile.lock to version control until you are satisfied that your application continues to operate acceptably (tests pass, new gem does something useful, etc.).

Or you should stop using Bundler, because you want to do things it is explicitly designed to prevent you from doing (not recommended).

Upvotes: 3

Frederick Cheung
Frederick Cheung

Reputation: 84182

At the risk of sounding dumb, why not add it to the gemfile? You can always add it to its own group if you don't want to have to install it everywhere.

Upvotes: 1

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