From: Chad Perrin <perrin@...>
Date: 2006-09-10T04:56:58+09:00
Subject: Re: Joel Spolsky on languages for web programming

On Sun, Sep 10, 2006 at 02:40:18AM +0900, Joseph wrote:
> 
> Also, a little off topic, you could reach a middle of the ground
> compromise, extending your app in Ruby and leaving the "legacy" code
> alone, a common practice in the mainframe world where COBOL apps have
> been largely left in the cold or with minimal maintenace, while hooks
> have been made into Java based applications that extend them!  Why not
> do the same with Net/Java apss with links to Ruby on Rails?

The (unspoken, but somewhat obvious) implication that Java is the "new"
legacy COBOL of the new millenium strikes me intuitively as a valid
comparison in a number of ways.  Just like COBOL in its day, Java has
been hailed as making code maintenance easier, making programming
"safer", being THE enterprise language of its time, and so on.  Just
like COBOL after its day, Java is beginning to get a fair bit of flak
for requiring "fat" code, imposing a lot of project time overhead, and
having gained its immense popularity via overhype (regardless of the
accuracy of those claims).  It's an interesting (off-topic) thought --
and it makes me wonder if something like Ruby will be the next
Java/COBOL.


> 
> Finally to end my reply I would say that if you are starting a NEW
> project, mission critical or not, and there is no "showstopper" for
> your application, by all means Ruby and Ruby on Rails are indeed the
> best possible tools you could choose.  THAT IS PRECISELY my point.  The
> productivity savings, the elegance and clarity of the framework is just
> to good to ignore.

I think calling Ruby and Rails the "best possible tools you could
choose" might be a bit overenthusiastic.  They are certainly excellent
tools, and are surely the best tools for certain specific tasks, but
other tools are better for other tasks.  Ruby and Rails are far from
being the only excellent tools available to us.  I don't think you meant
to imply that they are the only excellent tools available, but the
unequivocal nature of your comment makes it look that way.

-- 
CCD CopyWrite Chad Perrin [ http://ccd.apotheon.org ]
"There comes a time in the history of any project when it becomes necessary
to shoot the engineers and begin production." - MacUser, November 1990