From: "Erik Bågfors" <erik@...>
Date: 2002-01-01T21:21:54+09:00
Subject: [ruby-talk:29948] Parrot (was re, Python and Ruby: a comparison)

On Mon, 2001-12-31 at 18:18, Dan Sugalski wrote:
> At 02:02 AM 1/1/2002 +0900, Michael Kelly wrote:
> >On Mon, 31 Dec 2001 12:26:46 +1100, Michael Lucas-Smith >Check out
> >Parrot
> > >(http://www.panix.com/~ziggy/parrot.html)
> > >(http://archive.develooper.com/perl6-internals@perl.org/msg06916.html)
> > >
> > >It's trying to do exactly that. A common VM underneith Python, Perl6 and
> > >Ruby.
> > >
> >
> >Interesting Michael.  I'll take a look right now, thanks.
> 
> As the Parrot designer, I'd be happy to answer any questions anyone might 
> have either on or off list. (As folks deem appropriate--I don't want to 
> waste folk's time inappropriately)
> 

I've looked through the "how to program in parrot assembler" or whatever
those documents were called and I have just a few questions.

* Is there anyone working on ruby-support?
* There are registers for integers, floats, strings and something that
from what I understod could be "objects".  Since everything in ruby are
objects wouldn't that mean that ruby would only use that register type?
What would happen is I from ruby used a perl-class that retured a
integer and ruby doesn't do integers?  Overall I don't quite understand
how the whole language independence is supposted to work.
* I assume there is also a stack on not only registers?  I've never read
anything about that though. (how would you store more than 32 objects
otherwise for example)
* How is garbage collection done?  This is different between ruby and
python for example.  Will one language have to learn the other way??
* How will blocks be used from other languages that doesn't do blocks??

BTW, it's VERY nice to see a parrot designer here on the ruby-list :)
/Erik

-- 
Erik B�gfors               | erik@bagfors.nu
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