Bundle arbitrary data files in a Go binary.

Package "bundle", together with the "mkbundle" command, allow, moderately sized, arbitrary data files to be embedded (bundled) inside a Go binary. It can be used to create self-contained applications removing the need to ship data-files together with your binaries. Data embedded (bundled) in the binary can be accessed using a file-like interface (Open, Read, etc).

The mkbundle command generates a Go source file that contains global variables initialized with data from the files you wish to embed, (optionally) compressed with gzip, and encoded with base64. Example:

  $ mkdir mydata
  $ echo "Test file 1 contents" > mydata/file1.txt
  $ echo "Test file 2 contents" > mydata/file2.txt
  $ mkbundle -v -o=mybundle.go mydata
  mkbundle: Generating mybundle.go
  mkbundle: + file1.txt
  mkbundle: + file2.txt

As a result of running the command above, the file "mybundle.go" will be generated and it will contain the following Go code:

  // Bundle file
  // Auto-generated. !! DO NOT EDIT !!
  // Generated: 2013-12-29T22:46:58+02:00

  package main

  import "github.com/npat-efault/bundle"

  var _bundle = []bundle.Entry{
  { Name : "file1.txt",
    Size : 21,
    Gzip : false,
    Data : `
  VGVzdCBmaWxlIDEgY29udGVudHMK
  `},
  { Name : "file2.txt",
    Size : 21,
    Gzip : false,
    Data : `
  VGVzdCBmaWxlIDIgY29udGVudHMK
  `},
  }

  var _bundleIdx bundle.Index

  func init() {
        _bundleIdx = bundle.MkIndex(_bundle)
  }

  // End of bundle

This generated file can be linked to your programm allowing access to the embedded data. The bundle package (github.com/npat-efault/bundle) contains functions that help you access the data that have been embedded in the binary by "mkbundle".

For more information see the documentation (godoc) of the "bundle" package and the "mkbundle" command. You can also read the source of the example "serveb" program.

Say:

  $ go get github.com/npat-efault/bundle
  $ cd $GOPATH/src/github.com/npat-efault/bundle
  $ ./all.sh install

Test with:

  $ ./all.sh test [-v]

Dircetory "serveb" contains an example program. It implements a simple server that serves bundle data over HTTP. To build and run say:

  $ cd serveb
  $ ./all.sh build
  $ ./serveb :8080

Then direct your browser to http://localhost:8080/