From: "M. Edward (Ed) Borasky" <znmeb@...>
Date: 2008-08-08T22:18:05+09:00
Subject: Re: State of Ruby 1.8.6?

On Fri, 2008-08-08 at 02:07 +0900, Gregory Brown wrote:
> Definitely seems like a good idea to me.
> 
> The trouble I see with 1.8.7 is that although it is forward
> compatible, it's not backwards compatible.  So if I write my code
> against 1.8.7, my users need to upgrade.  Writing code on 1.8.6
> ensures me that *most* of what I do will run on any old version of
> 1.8, but not necessarily 1.9.
> 
> I love 1.8.7 as a stepping stone, but I don't think it should have
> become the head of the API-stable 1.8 branch. It just creates too much
> confusion.

I agree. I don't see the need for syntax or semantics changes to either
1.8.6 or 1.9.x, nor do I see the need for a "bridge" between 1.8.6 and
1.9.x. 1.8.7 should be bug fixes and performance improvements to 1.8.6,
keeping the same syntax and semantics. The same goes for 1.8.8, and
presumably 1.8.9.

As far as I'm concerned, if you want the performance, syntax and
semantics of 1.9, *use* 1.9! Beat on it, find workarounds for its
issues, file bugs against it, make your code work with it, write new
stuff for it that doesn't work with 1.8.x, etc. :)
-- 
M. Edward (Ed) Borasky
ruby-perspectives.blogspot.com

"A mathematician is a machine for turning coffee into theorems." --
Alfr��d R��nyi via Paul Erd��s