From: ptkwt@...1.aracnet.com (Phil Tomson)
Date: 2001-12-08T11:15:50+09:00
Subject: [ruby-talk:27887] Re: Perl/Python Module Porting

In article <4CACD702-EB4D-11D5-97BA-0050E4C58663@eyemg.com>,
Joseph Erickson  <jerickson@eyemg.com> wrote:
>I just know that I can't use Ruby at work because I can do so much more 
>in Perl because of the module support.  If there is an effort to get 
>more module support in Ruby, more people may be apt to take it 
>seriously.  I love staying up nights programming in this language but if 
>I can program in it AND get sleep, I'll be twice as happy. :-)
>
>Should there be a concentrated effort to reuse Perl/Python code in order 
>to make Ruby more robust and more attractive to potential corporate 
>customers / real world programmers?  Do you guys think this should be a 
>focus or should porting be kept on an 'as needed basis'?
>

I think we've mostly been in the 'as needed basis' mode for porting 
because:
1) if you need it you're motivated
2) people have limited amounts of time.

But maybe there's something to the 'focused-effort' mode of just porting a 
lot of differnt Perl/Python modules over.  The reason being that if 
someone reads an article on /. or whatever website about Ruby and then 
goes to try it out and if it doesn't have their favorite (Perl|Python) 
module they may be less likely to stick with Ruby for the period of time 
it takes to determine that they really like it (that period varies in 
length depending on the individual).  Of course, there probably needs to 
be some selectivity since available time is not unlimited...  Any way to 
determine what the popular Perl and Python modules are. (download stats 
from CPAN?)

Phil