From: Kevin Brown <blargity@...>
Date: 2005-09-09T01:35:18+09:00
Subject: Re: Need help finding decent IDE/development environment for Windows

On Wednesday 07 September 2005 17:56, graham wrote:
> Edward Faulkner wrote:
> > You missed the key phrase: "in Ruby".  What you're describing is a
> > typical project in Java or C++.
> >
> > In Ruby, if your application is so large and complicated that you
> > can't easily navigate and understand it without a specialized IDE,
> > you're basically screwed.
>
> I agree. Although Ruby has potential, it still appears to be a language
> for small systems/utilities. Partly because of the tools support, partly
> because of performance, partly because it is "new" (ish).
>
> If you have a complex problem to solve, choosing the "wrong language" to
> write a solution can make your task more difficult, but even Ruby cannot
> make intrinsically complex systems simple.

I disagree.  I'm currently writing a complete Magazine Subscription 
fulfillment database backend with front end in Ruby.  It's no problem, even 
though the system is complex  The backend is about 90% complete and the front 
end is about 30 percent complete.

Now granted, if ANY application in ANY language is so large you can't 
understand it without an IDE, the problem is not the size, but your design.  
Anyway, I do everything with 2 terminal windows open and Kate to edit the 
files.  No problems there. :-)