From: "S.D" Date: 2009-09-04T00:46:08+09:00 Subject: Re: Simple New Ruby Programmer Problem with $stdin.gets On Thu, 3 Sep 2009 23:59:57 +0900 Mason Kelsey wrote: > I see no point in getting into a spitting contest over which OS is best or > whether open source is better than commercially available software. All OS > have their limitations, just as all languages do too. I just consider it > the mark of a professional programmer to work with any environment. I have > had experience working in a UNIX environment, when I worked for Bank of > America and later as a contractor for Schwab. Working with vi, a > mode controlled line editor, was not a pleasant experience, since I was used > to a full screen editor, like TSO on an IBM mainframe. Because of that > experience, I don't consider any OS to be the ultimate OS. I've worked > through more than 10 in my career. Programmers, myself included, tend to > like and think superior what they are used to. So it is understandable that > programmers trained in academic environments that expose the student to only > UNIX would tend to succumb to a UNIX bias. The obvious gravity of open > source code is that it is FREE (although not to the developer). Academic > environments, looking for ways to be cost effective, would naturally welcome > open source. But students usually don't realize that a professor's bias can > also cover up the professor's ignorance of other systems. So a UNIX bias > can become a self-perpetuating bias, just as a Windows bias can do the same > thing. After all, it does take a lot of time and energy to become > comfortable with another system. Yet the world changes in unexpected > ways and leaves those who think that their OS is the center of the > world with less job opportunities. The best heuristics seem to be "Be > Adaptable" and "Don't waste your time scorning an OS for whatever reason". > I am happy that you enjoy working with UNIX. > > I think the best solution to my original question, although I have not > verified it yet, is to move from SciTE to a commercially available IDE for > the Windows environment. I checked the SCiTE forum and found that I was not > the only person puzzled and put off by the gets limitation, and that it > wasn't just a Windows issue. SciTE was a freebie that downloads when I > installed Ruby on my Windows XP system and it has its limitations that I > immediately ran into. Thanks again, for your comments. Yeah, 2nd > edition. The world changes as we speak. > > No Sam > > On Wed, Sep 2, 2009 at 11:22 PM, 7stud -- wrote: > > > Mason Kelsey wrote: > > > > > > I tried using the run/cmd that you suggested, and it does work. Thank > > > you. > > > But I assume most Ruby programmers don't work in the run/cmd > > > environment, > > > what I call the DOS Box. If so that is a serious step backwards by > > > about 28 > > > years. > > > > I'm not sure what most ruby programmers do. But I think a lot of ruby > > programmers use the command line to run programs. A lot of the answers > > posted on this forum show the commands used to run a program on the > > command line--although the open source world is heavily biased towards > > unix/linux, so it is a unix/linux command line rather than a windows > > command window. > > > > IDE's are not so important for scripting languages. All you need is a > > text editor that provides syntax highlighting and automatic indenting. > > Obviously, as programs get longer and more complex a good IDE can be > > helpful to navigate around the code. > > > > > > > > I did mean page 203, where the gets command is used, without the $stdin. > > > Page 230 is about SQLite. > > > > > > > Then I would guess you have the 2nd edition, which you neglected to > > mention. > > > > > > > > that > > > the gets command does not work from within SciTE. > > > > > > > You have a gui, Scite, that is trying to run another gui, a dos command > > window, in another thread. In my experience, open source text editors > > often have trouble doing that, and then throw in windows, and you have a > > recipe for disaster. You do know how eff'ed up windows is don't you? > > > > > > > But, finally, you say there is a SciTE forum!? Great! I just did a > > > Google > > > search to find it myself. It is at > > > http://www.nabble.com/SciTE-f14248.html for > > > anyone who is interested. I will be taking my question there. > > > > > > Thanks for your reply, > > > > > > No Sam > > > > -- > > Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/. > > > > > For a great (ableit, a long) read on this topic, check out: http://adam.shand.net/iki/library/in_the_beginning_was_the_command_line/ Morlocks and Eloi, what a great analogy! -- S.D P.S. credit to Dave Thomas, Chad Fowler and Andy Hunt- Programming Ruby 1.9, for this reference