From: A Bull in the China Shop of Life <feoh@...>
Date: 2001-08-08T14:57:14+09:00
Subject: [ruby-talk:19353] Re: Perl/Python/Ruby common backend  (Parrot, can Ruby play too?)

At 02:37 PM 8/8/01 +0900, Mathieu Bouchard spewed forth:
>Ruby has this thing called "mixins" that afaik is not in Python (unless
>it's quite recent)

The language has no counterpart to Ruby's modules.

However see http://noframes.linuxjournal.com/lj-issues/issue84/4540.html 
for several examples of implementing mixins by changing the target class's 
__bases__ property or similar.

All this debate about Python vs Ruby is of questionable value IMO, they're 
two different languages with largely competitive feature sets (What one 
lacks the other makes up for in different areas)  and varying levels of 
maturity in any given area.

Tool to task - I use Python in cases where Ruby isn't up to snuff yet (e.g. 
MacOS classic AE/Apple-Scripting, more extensive win32/OLE/COM support, 
etc) but mostly for scripting tasks, whereas I see Ruby as being a more 
elegant general programming language suited to solving complex problems 
which happens to also be quite good at UNIX (and somewhat more limited 
win32) scripting.

I also use Python at work where introducing a new language simply isn't 
kosher, and that's Okay because Python fills the bill nicely there.

Just my $.02

-Chris