From: Hal Fulton <rubyhacker@...>
Date: 2013-04-10T05:12:08+09:00
Subject: Seeking ideas for new Ruby projects...

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I have a bad habit of skipping from one project to another. Actually, many
developers I know have the same habit, but I may be worse than most.

I am trying to think of an idea that
  - is interesting to me
  - is potentially useful
  - might attract the interest of other developers.

Some of my rough ideas are:

1. A todo-list manager (yes, yet another one) with emphasis on extreme
extensibility (and with certain optional features that I have never seen
all in one place)

2. An old-fashioned text formatter that takes plain text and produces a
document. Ruby code may be embedded in it. Adapters permit exporting
as HTML, as an ODT, as a PDF, as a Word doc, as XML/RSS/Atom, and
so on.

3. An embedded mini-language for regular expressions that permits us to
write really complex regular expressions "more as if they were programs"

4. A graphics DSL on top of ImageMagick (like a sophisticated layer on top
of RMagick)

5. A "better, more powerful" Ruby interface for Evernote. (The library I
have seen is a fairly "thin" wrapper, too thin for my tastes.)

6. A Ruby interface for LibreOffice (as I mentioned in another email). I
don't know what's involved in this.

7. A different/better ORM. My personal favorite is Sequel, but I have at
times longed for one that was "inside out" from ActiveRecord. At one time,
Ezra Zygmuntowicz and I brainstormed this idea a little, calling it
PassiveRecord (a name that has since been taken, I think).

8. I'm a big believer in dev tools. Anything that measures or diagrams
Ruby code, especially large systems, is interesting to me.

9. A mockup of what "better reflection" might look like in Ruby (think Ruby
2.2 or later). I have some notes and ideas here.

10. A web app (gasp!) for authors (print and web). I believe enough in
the commercial possibilities of this that I won't specify details here.
BTW - the "gasp" is because I normally don't like web coding in general,
and I'm a little disappointed by the giant chunk of time and energy in our
profession that is devoted to it. And I don't like being referred to as a
"backend" developer. Fifteen years ago, essentially ALL computer science
was "backend."  Recruiters who think the web is the entire universe can,
well, kiss my backend. End of micro-rant. :)

Comments are welcome... *especially* if you are interested in helping. :)

Cheers,
Hal

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<div dir=3D"ltr">I have a bad habit of skipping from one project to another=
. Actually, many<div>developers I know have the same habit, but I may be wo=
rse than most.</div><div><br></div><div style>I am trying to think of an id=
ea that</div>
<div style>=A0 - is interesting to me</div><div style>=A0 - is potentially =
useful</div><div style>=A0 - might attract the interest of other developers=
.</div><div style><br></div><div style>Some of my rough ideas are:</div><di=
v style>
<br></div><div style>1. A todo-list manager (yes, yet another one) with emp=
hasis on extreme</div><div style>extensibility (and with certain optional f=
eatures that I have never seen=A0</div><div style>all in one place)</div>
<div style><br></div><div style>2. An old-fashioned text formatter that tak=
es plain text and produces a=A0</div><div style>document. Ruby code may be =
embedded in it. Adapters permit exporting</div><div style>as HTML, as an OD=
T, as a PDF, as a Word doc, as XML/RSS/Atom, and</div>
<div style>so on.</div><div style><br></div><div style>3. An embedded mini-=
language for regular expressions that permits us to</div><div style>write r=
eally complex regular expressions &quot;more as if they were programs&quot;=
</div>
<div style><br></div><div style>4. A graphics DSL on top of ImageMagick (li=
ke a sophisticated layer on top</div><div style>of RMagick)</div><div style=
><br></div><div style>5. A &quot;better, more powerful&quot; Ruby interface=
 for Evernote. (The library I=A0</div>
<div style>have seen is a fairly &quot;thin&quot; wrapper, too thin for my =
tastes.)</div><div style><br></div><div style>6. A Ruby interface for Libre=
Office (as I mentioned in another email). I</div><div style>don&#39;t know =
what&#39;s involved in this.</div>
<div style><br></div><div style>7. A different/better ORM. My personal favo=
rite is Sequel, but I have at</div><div style>times longed for one that was=
 &quot;inside out&quot; from ActiveRecord. At one time,</div><div style>
Ezra Zygmuntowicz and I brainstormed this idea a little, calling it</div><d=
iv style>PassiveRecord (a name that has since been taken, I think).</div><d=
iv style><br></div><div style>8. I&#39;m a big believer in dev tools. Anyth=
ing that measures or diagrams</div>
<div style>Ruby code, especially large systems, is interesting to me.</div>=
<div style><br></div><div style>9. A mockup of what &quot;better reflection=
&quot; might look like in Ruby (think Ruby</div><div style>2.2 or later). I=
 have some notes and ideas here.</div>
<div style><br></div><div style>10. A web app (gasp!) for authors (print an=
d web). I believe enough in</div><div style>the commercial possibilities of=
 this that I won&#39;t specify details here.=A0</div><div style>BTW - the &=
quot;gasp&quot; is=A0because=A0I normally don&#39;t like web coding in gene=
ral,=A0</div>
<div style>and I&#39;m a little=A0disappointed by=A0the giant chunk of time=
 and energy in=A0our=A0</div><div style>profession that=A0is devoted to it.=
=A0And I don&#39;t like being referred to as a=A0</div><div style>&quot;bac=
kend&quot; developer.=A0Fifteen years=A0ago, essentially ALL computer scien=
ce</div>
<div style>was &quot;backend.&quot; =A0Recruiters who=A0think the web is th=
e entire universe can,</div><div style>well, kiss my=A0backend. End of=A0mi=
cro-rant. :)</div><div style><br></div><div style>Comments are welcome... *=
especially* if you are interested in helping. :)</div>
<div style><br></div><div style>Cheers,</div><div style>Hal</div><div style=
><br></div></div>

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