From: Leslie Viljoen <leslieviljoen@...>
Date: 2006-08-20T06:59:31+09:00
Subject: Re: Ruby is exploding onto the scene as Java did at the end of 1990s

On 8/18/06, krf <krf@vega.com> wrote:
>   Perl/CGI is far more accessible to beginners, both as a
> > programming toolset and in terms of what's available at common shared
> > hosting providers; Java applets suck; Perl/CGI is more portable (despite
> > the Java portability marketing); early server-side Java was a bit like a
> > spork in the eye in terms of performance and ease of deployment.
>
> I have to agree with that entirely.  At the time that Java was cranking
> up, I was a Linux noob and was using some early version of RedHat.
>
> I worked for endless nights trying to get the Java suite past RH's RPM
> dependency hell and just about decided that I would have to stick with C
> (which I hate using for just plain user apps).  Then for some reason I
> tried Perl (probably because it was the only language that I could make
> work besides C) and after a few weeks realised the power of the language
> and never looked back.
>
> The code runs on any system, including windows (unless you are trying
> really far out stuff), no problems with sub/sub/sub libraries missing.
> The beginner can start with page one of the learning book right off,
> rather than get frustrated with install dependencies that he/she can't
> possible fix till lots of time goes by.
>
> Ruby is almost the same as Perl from a beginner standpoint.  It isn't
> installed with the OS (yet), but getting it is only a matter of
> apt-getting, or emerging or whatever.  Then start programming that first
> "Hello World" the same night.

Interestingly, I found Ruby installed by default on my bother's
Macbook Pro after struggling for quite some time trying to find out
how to install it. Now that's the sort of OS I can support, if only I
had the money!

Les