From: vruz <horacio.lopez@...>
Date: 2005-03-21T13:05:48+09:00
Subject: Re: Ruby, brother of VB?

[sinp all good stuff]
> So my question is, what do I need to know to get started from a VB
> background?
> P.S. Here's the link to the comp. lang lineage chart:
> http://www.levenez.com/lang/history.html

Not sure of the resemblance with Algol, but no doubt there will be a
number of differences between VB and Ruby to get started with.

There are certain things you get with Ruby that you didn't have with
VB, and viceversa.

Bad news first:
* None of the Ruby IDEs available out there resemble to the VB IDE
* You can't create OCX/ActiveX components with Ruby
* The current implementation of Ruby doesn't compile to bytecode or
native executable binary

On the other hand, the good news are really great, and I think they
greatly outnumber the disadvantages
* You get a beautiful and very clean language that doesn't get in the way.
* You usually end up having more time to think about your code, and
you end up writing less due to Ruby's expresiveness.
* There's a great number of libraries available from everything (GUI,
database, web development, graphics, and a large etcetera)
* Ruby is cross-platform and runs wonderfully on unices and Linux as
well as Windows and other platforms.
* On Windows, you can have access to the full array of niceties that
come with the platform. ( COM objects, GUI, Windows API, Services,
etc. etc.)
* It's free !!  Free of charge, and free for you to read, learn and 
use the source code of Ruby itself  (ever wished fixing any of the
bugs inside VB ?)
* Rubyscript2exe can pack your ruby programs inside of a regular .EXE
for deployment
* No Microsoft, no discontinuation of products


To get started with all this on Windows you need 3 things:

* Windows 2000, Windows XP, 2003  or newer  (Ruby will work on older
versions of Windows, but the full array of possibilities is better
exploited in the newest

* One-click Ruby  Installer downloadable from
http://rubyforge.org/frs/download.php/2407/ruby182-14.exe

* Optionally, a set of useful libraries for Win32 development:
http://rubyforge.org/frs/download.php/3473/win32utils-V.0.0.3.zip

I think most Ruby coders will agree that the best way to get started
is having a look at "Programming Ruby"

( 1st edition downloadable from: 
http://www.bdelmee.easynet.be/ruby/pr03a_chm.zip  Windows CHM format,
http://phrogz.net/ProgrammingRuby/  Phrogz' annotated PR online,
http://www.ruby-doc.org/downloads/palm/plucker/ProgrammingRuby.pdb 
Palm Plucker format)

or buy the 2nd. updated and corrected edition that covers Ruby 1.8.x
http://pragmaticprogrammer.com/titles/ruby/index.html

Also highly recommendable  "The Ruby Way" by Hal Fulton
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0672320835/002-7526443-8888002

Finally, if you're up to a non-traditional approach to technical
writing, not faint hearted and able to appreciate one of the best
things in life is "chunky bacon", there's "Why's (Poignant) Guide to
Ruby" here:
http://poignantguide.net/ruby/
by our fellow rubyist self baptised Why The Lucky Stiff.

Happy coding !

                                   vruz