From: Caleb Clausen <vikkous@...>
Date: 2005-08-01T16:44:20+09:00
Subject: Re: lowering ruby's reach

> Has anyone given any thought to what ruby needs to make it reach lower into
> areas where even now C/C++ and assembler are used?

You look at zenspider's stuff yet?

The short answer: you need ways to constrain the dynamism of the
language so the program is more predictable. Constraining the types of
various expressions is probably the most straight-forward way to
start.

> Would it be possible to make it suitable for OS and (hard) real-time
> programming without losing the things that make ruby great at the moment?

Garbage collection is the big barrier for real time stuff. Handling
more dynamic stuff like method_missing and const_missing would be next
hardest. There's a whole pile of challenges, actually.

Some will claim that all the extra nailing down and such of datatypes
that's done in static languages to make them faster makes programming
less fun.... I don't mind some of that personally, but it sure is nice
not to have to declare everything.