From: ptkwt@...1.aracnet.com (Phil Tomson)
Date: 2001-12-08T03:55:13+09:00
Subject: [ruby-talk:27834] Re: Perl/Python Module Porting

In article <B3265BDC-EB39-11D5-97BA-0050E4C58663@eyemg.com>,
Joseph Erickson  <jerickson@eyemg.com> wrote:
>Has there been any thought in the Ruby Community of actively porting 
>Perl and Python modules?  I know there are requests for specific modules 
>(http://www.rubygarden.org/ruby?LibraryModules) but many of the 
>Perl/Python modules are not represented in Ruby.  Some of the more 
>useful ones I've found working in the web development industry are 
>MIME::Tools, HTML::Template, SpreadSheet::ParseExcel, 
>SpreadSheet::WriteExcel, WDDX and others.
>
>I guess my question is, should porting Perl/Python modules be a priority 
>for the Ruby Community?  These languages are a lot like Ruby and porting 
>shouldn't be that hard.  There's already been a lot of thought into 
>these modules and the API's have already been discussed and tested in 
>real world situations.  It seems that if we can take this free knowledge 
>and apply it to Ruby, then we will be that much closer to being as 
>robust as Perl/Python.
>
>I'm a Nuby, please be nice if this has been discussed before.
>

Welcome.

It has been mentioned a few times and IMHO it's a very good idea.
Probably the best thing you could do (and it would help you learn Ruby as 
well :) is to pick a Perl/Python module that you would like to use in Ruby 
and port it (check to see that we don't have it already, of course).  
After you've ported and tested the module, submit it to the RAA.

There's been some porting going on, but there probably should be a lot 
more of it - as you say, the Perl/Python module already has an API that 
has been worked on.  Maybe we should start a "Port a (Perl|Python) module" 
contest to speed things up  or something...

Of course, we also hope for the day when Perlers or Pythonistas say "Hey, 
Ruby's got this cool _____ module that we should port...."

Phil