[ruby-talk:00433] pearl, perl, ruby, and ruby

Hi,

You may be aware that 'perl' was known briefly as 'pearl' before the
author realised that the name was already taken. The pearl language is:
----
PEARL -

  1. Constable, Cornell U, 80's.  Constructive mathematics.

  2. Process and Experiment Automation Real-Time Language.  A real-time
language for programming process control systems, widely used in Europe.
Size and complexity exceeds Ada.  DIN 66253 Teil 2, "Programmiersprache
PEARL", Beuth-Verlag, Nov 1980.

  3. One of five pedagogical languages based on Markov algorithms, used in
"Nonpareil, a Machine Level Machine Independent Language for the Study of
Semantics", B. Higman, ULICS Intl Report No ICSI 170, U London (1968).
(cf. Brilliant, Diamond, Nonpareil, Ruby[2]).

  4. Brian Randell, ca 1970.  Multilevel language, mentioned in Machine
Oriented Higher Level Languages, W. van der Poel, N-H 1974. [?]
---
notice something? "Ruby"! The five pedalogical languages based on markov
alogorithms are 'pearl', 'brilliant', 'diamond', 'nonpereil', and 'Ruby'!

This alternate version of Ruby is:
----
Ruby -

  1. Jones & Sheeran, 1986.  Hardware description language.  "Ruby - A
Language of Relations and Higher-Order Functions", M. Sheeran, Proc 3rd
Banff Workshop on Hardware Verification, Springer 1990.
ftp://ftp.cs.chalmers.se/pub/misc/ruby/*
info: [e-mail]

  2. One of five pedagogical languages based on Markov algorithms, used in
"Nonpareil, a Machine Level Machine Independent Language for the Study of
Semantics", B. Higman, ULICS Intl Report No ICSI 170, U London (1968).
(cf. Brilliant, Diamond, Nonpareil, Pearl[3]).
---
or from its readme:
----
Ruby is a relational language developed by Jones and Sheeran for
describing and designing circuits.  Ruby programs denote binary
relations, and programs are built-up inductively from primitive
relations using a pre-defined set of relational operators.  Ruby
programs also have a geometric interpretation as networks of
primitive relations connected by wires, which is important
when layout is considered in circuit design.  Ruby has been
continually developed since 1986, and has been used to design
many different kinds of circuits, including systolic arrays,
butterfly networks, and arithmetic circuits.
---

Well, isn't that interesting? I wonder how this, if it all, affects our
own beloved programming language of ruby =)


thank you,