From: Chris Date: 2002-05-14T12:08:51+09:00 Subject: Re: What is Ruby for? In article <3ce04fdf@news.mhogaming.com>, Sean Russell wrote: > Chris wrote: > >> I think it was B.Stroustrup who said that a worthy goal > >> is to learn a new (computer) language every year... > ... > > I replied to a fairly recent "Python vs. Perl" thread on c.l.python, > > with "learn both." Unfortunately, the regulars there seem rather > > Yeah. My problem with this is that my brain is only so big. There's a > difference, in my mind, between being able to hack out tiny applications in > a language, and really "knowing" it... knowing the little tricks, knowing > the pitfalls, being able to write something without having to look up every > method call. I can /investigate/ a language every year, but I can't > /learn/ one every year. Heck, if I don't use a particular Java API in a > couple of weeks, I've got to pull up the API docs. > > I suppose I'm picking nits, and I'm not opposed to gratuitous education. > However, given a limited number of hours in my day, I maintain that I can > learn Ruby and get really good at it, or I can learn both Ruby and Python > and be mediocre at both. I'd rather be really good at one -- my > applications look better. Oh, that's perfectly understandable, and I can sympathize. However, I think you can be familiar with a number of languages(which might not even amount to being able to write mediocre programs), and still specialize in one. It helps with the whole "perspective" thing.