From: Hugh Sasse <hgs@...>
Date: 2008-10-22T23:07:38+09:00
Subject: Re: What exactly does "rubyish" or "ruby way" mean?



On Wed, 22 Oct 2008, Nit Khair wrote:

> Over the last month I have been reading a lot of blogs, searching, going
> through source code of some apps and my pickaxe. I am still unable to
> clearly understand what all "the ruby way" means.

Ruby is a [programming] language.  To do things in the ruby way means
to write it as those who regularly (and skillfully) use the language
write it.  Some say "It is possible to write FORTRAN in any language".
That is the opposite idea.  Idiomatic usage, is another way to consider
it.

> 
> I will be perfectly happy if you can tell me:
> 
> 1. phrases to google on, or check in pickaxe
> 2. pointers to specific libraries or classes i can study
> 3. link to any article I may have missed, or blog
> 
> The only thing I can put down, that i have gleaned, is the usage of
> procs/blocks, i.e. allowing the user to pass in blocks/yielding a value

Rubyists don't always do that.  It depends on whether it makes sense
to do so.  It is really about knowing the language and it's libraries
to be able to use them clearly and with some degree of elegance.

Well, that's my take on it, anyway.

> or self. I liked the chapter on Ruby Tk in pickaxe (since I am hoping to
> write a rubyish wrapper to ncurses).
> 
> Surely there is more to the ruby way than blocks/procs/lambda. Would
> really appreciate pointers.
> 
> thanks.

        Hugh