Mewn

A zero dependency asset embedder for Go.

About

Mewn is perhaps the easiest way to embed assets in a Go program. Here is an example:

package main

import (
	"fmt"

	"github.com/leaanthony/mewn"
)

func main() {
	myTest := mewn.String("./assets/hello.txt")
	fmt.Println(myTest)
}

If compiled with go build, this example will read hello.txt from disk. If compiled with mewn build, it will embed the assets into the resultant binary.

Installation

go get github.com/leaanthony/mewn/cmd/mewn

Usage

Import mewn at the top of your file github.com/leaanthony/mewn then use the simple API to load assets:

• String(filename) (string) - loads the file and returns it as a string
• Bytes(filename) ([]byte) - loads the file and returns it as a byte slice
• MustString(filename) (string) - loads the file and returns it as a string. Any error is considered fatal
• MustBytes(filename) ([]byte) - loads the file and returns it as a byte slice. Any error is considered fatal

Groups

To bundle a whole directory, simply declare a group like this:

myGroup := mewn.Group("./path/to/dir")

From this point you can use the same methods above, but on the group:

myAsset := myGroup.String("file.txt")

Groups also have the following method:

• Entries() []string - Returns a slice of filenames in the Group

Mewn cli command

The mewn command does 3 things:

• If you run mewn, it will recursively look for mewn.* calls in your .go files. It will then generate intermeriary go files with assets embedded. It does not compile them into a final binary.
• mewn build will do the above, but compile all the source, then delete the intermediary files. This makes things a bit cleaner.
• mewn pack will do the same as wails build, but will compile with the go flags -ldflags "-w -s" to compress the final binary even more.

For the build and pack subcommands, any other cli parameters will be passed on to go build.

Caveats

This project was built for simple embedding of assets and as such, there are a number of things to consider when choosing whether or not to use it.

• Mewn just deals with bytes. It's up to you to convert that to something you need. One exception: String. Just because it's super likely you'll need it.
• When using the top-level methods, EG: mewn.String(), it uses a default group called ".". Creating your own group called "." shouldn't do anything, but I'm not going to guarrantee it. You've been warned 😉
• Paths to assets need to be unique (within a Group). If you try to pack 2 files with the same relative path with the same group (or default group), it isn't going to work.
• Once this project reaches 1.0, it is extremely unlikely that any new features will be added in the future. This is by choice, not necessity. I want this project to be extremely stable so if you choose to use it today, it should work exactly the same in 3 years time. If it doesn't currently do what you want, you are probably looking for a different project. However, if you have a phenomenally good idea, feel free to open an issue.
• The project works by parsing the AST tree of your code. It works when you use the form mydata := mewn.String('./myfile.txt') to import your data (IE string literal, not variable). It may not (yet) work for similar code. Very happy to receive bug fixes if it doesn't.

Bug reports are very welcome! Almost as much as PRs to fix them!

What does 'Mewn' mean?

Mewn (MEH-OON as fast as you can say it, not meee-oon) is the Welsh word for "in".

Why go for a crazy Welsh name?

Well, it stands out as a project name (practically zero name clashes) and is one of the oldest and coolest languages in Europe (which I'm lucky enough to speak). JRR Tolkien was obsessed with Welsh. So much so, he based the Middle Earth Elvish language "Sindarin" on it and there's strong evidence he based LOTR on Welsh mythology. It's also associated with Red Dragons, weirdly loved by the Bundesliga football team FC Schalke and it's on Duolingo, so why not give it a go 😉 .

Inspiration

Heavy inspiration was drawn from packr by the awesome Mark Bates. The scope of what I needed was far narrower than the packr project, thus Mewn was born. If Mewn doesn't fulfil your needs, it's likely that packr will.