Expand packages and raw Engine write-up.

doc/src/SUMMARY.md

@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ The Rhai Scripting Language
    1. [Hello World in Rhai - Evaluate a Script](engine/hello-world.md)
    2. [Compile to AST for Repeated Evaluations](engine/compile.md)
    3. [Call a Rhai Function from Rust](engine/call-fn.md)
-   4. [Create a Rust Anonymous Function from a Rhai Function](engine/func.md)
+   4. [Create a Rust Closure from a Rhai Function](engine/func.md)
    5. [Evaluate Expressions Only](engine/expressions.md)
    6. [Raw Engine](engine/raw.md)
 4. [Extend Rhai with Rust](rust/index.md)
@@ -106,6 +106,7 @@ The Rhai Scripting Language
       2. [Loadable Configuration](patterns/config.md)
       3. [Control Layer](patterns/control.md)
       4. [Singleton Command](patterns/singleton.md)
+      5. [One Engine Instance Per Call](patterns/parallel.md)
    2. [Capture Scope for Function Call](language/fn-capture.md)
    3. [Serialization/Deserialization of `Dynamic` with `serde`](rust/serde.md)
    4. [Script Optimization](engine/optimize/index.md)

doc/src/engine/func.md

@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
-Create a Rust Anonymous Function from a Rhai Function
+Create a Rust Closure from a Rhai Function
-===================================================
+=========================================
 
 {{#include ../links.md}}
 
 It is possible to further encapsulate a script in Rust such that it becomes a normal Rust function.
 
-Such an _anonymous function_ is basically a boxed closure, very useful as call-back functions.
+Such a _closure_ is very useful as call-back functions.
 
 Creating them is accomplished via the `Func` trait which contains `create_from_script`
 (as well as its companion method `create_from_ast`):
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ let func = Func::<(i64, String), bool>::create_from_script(
                 "calc"                          // the entry-point function name
 )?;
 
-func(123, "hello".to_string())? == false;       // call the anonymous function
+func(123, "hello".to_string())? == false;       // call the closure
 
 schedule_callback(func);                        // pass it as a callback to another function
 

doc/src/language/fn-closure.md

@@ -35,7 +35,8 @@ The actual implementation de-sugars to:
 
 1. Keeping track of what variables are accessed inside the anonymous function,
 
-2. If a variable is not defined within the anonymous function's scope, it is looked up _outside_ the function and in the current execution scope - where the anonymous function is created.
+2. If a variable is not defined within the anonymous function's scope, it is looked up _outside_ the function and
+   in the current execution scope - where the anonymous function is created.
 
 3. The variable is added to the parameters list of the anonymous function, at the front.
 
@@ -43,7 +44,8 @@ The actual implementation de-sugars to:
 
    An [anonymous function] which captures an external variable is the only way to create a reference-counted shared value in Rhai.
 
-5. The shared value is then [curried][currying] into the [function pointer] itself, essentially carrying a reference to that shared value and inserting it into future calls of the function.
+5. The shared value is then [curried][currying] into the [function pointer] itself, essentially carrying a reference to that shared value
+   and inserting it into future calls of the function.
 
    This process is called _Automatic Currying_, and is the mechanism through which Rhai simulates normal closures.
 

doc/src/links.md

@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@
 [built-in operators]: {{rootUrl}}/engine/raw.md#built-in-operators
 [package]: {{rootUrl}}/rust/packages/index.md
 [packages]: {{rootUrl}}/rust/packages/index.md
+[custom package]: {{rootUrl}}/rust/packages/create.md
+[custom packages]: {{rootUrl}}/rust/packages/create.md
 [`Scope`]: {{rootUrl}}/rust/scope.md
 [`serde`]: {{rootUrl}}/rust/serde.md
 

doc/src/patterns/parallel.md

@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+One Engine Instance Per Call
+===========================
+
+{{#include ../links.md}}
+
+
+Usage Scenario
+--------------
+
+* A system where scripts are called a _lot_, in tight loops or in parallel.
+
+* Keeping a global [`Engine`] instance is sub-optimal due to contention and locking.
+
+* Scripts need to be executed independently from each other, perhaps concurrently.
+
+* Scripts are used to [create Rust closure][`Func`] that are stored and may be called at any time, perhaps concurrently.
+  In this case, the [`Engine`] instance is usually moved into the closure itself.
+
+
+Key Concepts
+------------
+
+* Create a single instance of each standard [package] required.  To duplicate `Engine::new`, create a [`StandardPackage`]({{rootUrl}}/rust/packages/builtin.md).
+
+* Gather up all common custom functions into a [custom package].
+
+* Store a global `AST` for use with all engines.
+
+* Always use `Engine::new_raw` to create a [raw `Engine`], instead of `Engine::new` which is _much_ more expensive.
+  A [raw `Engine`] is _extremely_ cheap to create.
+  
+  Loading the [`StandardPackage`]({{rootUrl}}/rust/packages/builtin.md) into a [raw `Engine`] via `Engine::load_package` is essentially the same as `Engine::new`.
+  But because packages are shared, loading an existing package is _much cheaper_ than registering all the functions one by one.
+
+* Load the required packages into the [raw `Engine`] via `Engine::load_package`, using `Package::get` to obtain a shared copy.
+
+
+Examples
+--------
+
+```rust
+use rhai::packages::{Package, StandardPackage};
+
+let ast = /* ... some AST ... */;
+let std_pkg = StandardPackage::new();
+let custom_pkg = MyCustomPackage::new();
+
+let make_call = |x: i64| -> Result<(), Box<EvalAltResult>> {
+    // Create a raw Engine - extremely cheap.
+    let mut engine = Engine::new_raw();
+
+    // Load packages - cheap.
+    engine.load_package(std_pkg.get());
+    engine.load_package(custom_pkg.get());
+
+    // Create custom scope - cheap.
+    let mut scope = Scope::new();
+
+    // Push variable into scope - relatively cheap.
+    scope.push("x", x);
+
+    // Evaluate script.
+    engine.consume_ast_with_scope(&mut scope, &ast)
+};
+
+// The following loop creates 10,000 Engine instances!
+for x in 0..10_000 {
+    make_call(x)?;
+}
+```

doc/src/rust/packages/create.md

@@ -5,6 +5,14 @@ Create a Custom Package
 
 Sometimes specific functionalities are needed, so custom packages can be created.
 
+A custom package is a convenient means to gather up a number of functions for later use.
+An [`Engine`] only needs to `Engine::load_package` the custom package once to gain access
+to the entire set of functions within.
+
+Loading a package into an [`Engine`] is functionally equivalent to calling `Engine::register_fn` etc.
+on _each_ of the functions inside the package.  But because packages are _shared_, loading an existing
+package is _much_ cheaper than registering all the functions one by one.
+
 The macro `rhai::def_package!` is used to create a new custom package.
 
 

doc/src/rust/traits.md

@@ -9,5 +9,5 @@ A number of traits, under the `rhai::` module namespace, provide additional func
 | ------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------- |
 | `RegisterFn`       | Trait for registering functions                                                          | `register_fn`                           |
 | `RegisterResultFn` | Trait for registering fallible functions returning `Result<Dynamic, Box<EvalAltResult>>` | `register_result_fn`                    |
-| `Func`             | Trait for creating anonymous functions from script                                       | `create_from_ast`, `create_from_script` |
+| `Func`             | Trait for creating Rust closures from script                                             | `create_from_ast`, `create_from_script` |
 | `ModuleResolver`   | Trait implemented by module resolution services                                          | `resolve`                               |

src/engine.rs

@@ -378,7 +378,6 @@ pub struct Limits {
 /// ```
 ///
 /// Currently, `Engine` is neither `Send` nor `Sync`. Use the `sync` feature to make it `Send + Sync`.
-#[derive(Clone)]
 pub struct Engine {
     /// A unique ID identifying this scripting `Engine`.
     pub id: Option<String>,

src/fn_func.rs

@@ -12,11 +12,11 @@ use crate::scope::Scope;
 
 use crate::stdlib::{boxed::Box, string::ToString};
 
-/// Trait to create a Rust anonymous function from a script.
+/// Trait to create a Rust closure from a script.
 pub trait Func<ARGS, RET> {
     type Output;
 
-    /// Create a Rust anonymous function from an `AST`.
+    /// Create a Rust closure from an `AST`.
     /// The `Engine` and `AST` are consumed and basically embedded into the closure.
     ///
     /// # Examples
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ pub trait Func<ARGS, RET> {
     /// # }
     fn create_from_ast(self, ast: AST, entry_point: &str) -> Self::Output;
 
-    /// Create a Rust anonymous function from a script.
+    /// Create a Rust closure from a script.
     /// The `Engine` is consumed and basically embedded into the closure.
     ///
     /// # Examples

tests/packages.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+use rhai::{Engine, EvalAltResult, INT, Scope};
+use rhai::packages::{Package, StandardPackage};
+
+#[test]
+fn test_packages() -> Result<(), Box<EvalAltResult>> {
+    let e = Engine::new();
+    let ast = e.compile("x")?;
+    let std_pkg = StandardPackage::new();
+
+    let make_call = |x: INT| -> Result<INT, Box<EvalAltResult>> {
+        // Create a raw Engine - extremely cheap.
+        let mut engine = Engine::new_raw();
+
+        // Load packages - cheap.
+        engine.load_package(std_pkg.get());
+
+        // Create custom scope - cheap.
+        let mut scope = Scope::new();
+
+        // Push variable into scope - relatively cheap.
+        scope.push("x", x);
+
+        // Evaluate script.
+        engine.eval_ast_with_scope::<INT>(&mut scope, &ast)
+    };
+
+    // The following loop creates 10,000 Engine instances!
+    for x in 0..10_000 {
+        assert_eq!(make_call(x)?, x);
+    }
+
+    Ok(())
+}