From: Thomas Hurst <tom.hurst@...>
Date: 2002-02-19T13:14:48+09:00
Subject: Re: Ruby for web development

* Billy (beripome@yahoo.com) wrote:

> I've just recently discovered ruby. I have a very large database
> management/ content management app written in PHP.

URI?

> I'm really desperate to transfer over to ruby to gain the extra
> features.

Have you looked at Zend 2?

> I'm very very excited by the features ruby has (i actually found it
> difficult to sleep last night thinking about it).
>
> Unfortunately, unless I'm malinformed, ruby has a wee way to go yet
> untill I would risk swapping over.

Maybe you might concider using PHP as a thin caching front end to a
Ruby-powered daemon or so, or even coding to a platform like WEBrick.
Probably more for interest value than anything else, but you don't
mention whether you're coding for a mission critical environment or just
to make something cool.

> Here's some things that need to be done for Ruby to explode. These are
> mostly what PHP had when it exploded.

> Windows (Ruby + Eruby or similar)/(Apache + stable mod_ruby)
> installer.

*shrug*, you mention this then later talk about production environments,
make up your mind :)

> - No half working eruby (i havn't been able to get eruby to
> work on my windows box yet)

erb is written entirely in Ruby iirc.

> - mod_ruby for windows! a stable mod_ruby... I read somewhere it leaks
> memory every use and that it can't be fixed cause way ruby is built.

PHP benefits greatly from being targeted purely at embedded webserver
environments, so a great deal of work goes into making it stable and
compatible with many different webservers.

mod_ruby, on the other hand, is a rather small effort with a limited
userbase and diluted by the fact that most ruby work goes into stuff
outside of the web, or used at levels where CGI is sufficient.

> Say goodbye to possibility of using eruby in production environment!

I wouldn't want to, embedded languages are evil :)

> Easy database interface.
> -DBI for PERL ring any bells? Ruby has one i think but at about vers
> 0.00001??

Tracking functionality and stability are more important than mere
version numbers :)

-- 
Thomas 'Freaky' Hurst  -  freaky@aagh.net  -  http://www.aagh.net/
-
The older I grow, the less important the comma becomes.  
Let the reader catch his own breath.
		-- Elizabeth Clarkson Zwart