From: Gregory Seidman <gsslist+ruby@...>
Date: 2006-02-22T22:04:16+09:00
Subject: FAQ and JavaScript vs. Ruby (was Re: rubynuby - client side Ruby?)

On Wed, Feb 22, 2006 at 12:45:09PM +0900, Jeff Pritchard wrote:
} I would like to be able to do client-side scripting things that in the 
} past have been done with javascript embedded in html pages...with Ruby 
} instead of javascript.
[...]

Is there a FAQ list out there somewhere? This is the second time this has
come up within a week or two. I'd like to be able to respond to questions
like this with an URL (including an anchor to the specific
question/answer).

Also, I want to mention that JavaScript is a rather nice language. Its
primary failings are:

1) Minor implementation inconsistencies between browsers
2) Major API inconsistencies between browsers
3) Inconveniently missing facility for method callbacks (which can be
   overcome with a really simple function)

JavaScript has many of the same language features Ruby has, including
extension by mixin, duck typing, a YAML equivalent (JSON), arbitrary class
and object extension (i.e. adding methods/properties to classes or specific
objects at any time), simple arrays and hashes, etc. It also has
first-class functions, which are equivalent (though not identical) to
blocks. 

While it does require one to shift syntax when working on both the client
side and the server side, I see little problem with JavaScript and little
reason to even want to replace it with Ruby on the client. At the same
time, I have no great desire to use JavaScript on the server side, either,
since Ruby/Rails (and other web frameworks in other languages) are at least
as good for the purpose.

} thanks,
} jp
--Greg