From: "Hal E. Fulton" <hal9000@...>
Date: 2002-09-20T09:24:13+09:00
Subject: Re: Python the new Lisp, what about Ruby then?

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "MetalOne" <jcb@iteris.com>
Newsgroups: comp.lang.ruby
To: "ruby-talk ML" <ruby-talk@ruby-lang.org>
Sent: Thursday, September 19, 2002 6:59 PM
Subject: Re: Python the new Lisp, what about Ruby then?


> Comments by Bruce Eckel stating that Python is superior, and Ruby is
> not worth learning.  Unless you just like learning new languages.
> I don't agree, but the comments are interesting.
> Bruce Eckel wrote "Thinking in C++" and "Thinking in Java".

This was discussed at length when he made these comments
a year or two ago. Search the archives if you're curious.

(snippage)

>  I am
> not going to be calling CreateWindow from Ruby anytime soon.

Hmm, what about WIN32API? I've never used it myself...

> You can write Quicksort in 4 lines of Haskell code.  That alone tells
> me that there is something about Haskell that might be worth learning.

You can write it in one line in Pascal. If it's a
really long line.  ;)

> But of the 15 languages that I listed how to choose which ones to
> learn? Which are best?  Impossible to tell (In Yoda voice).
> 
> I decided to learn Ruby and Haskell for now, just for educational
> purposes.
> I can't see getting to use either on a job anytime soon.

Some people are already using Ruby on the job. (Probably Haskell
too, for all I know).

One good way is to sneak it in. (Refer to Andy Hunt's excellent 
"Ruby Insurgency" talk at last year's RubyConf). Use it behind 
management's back. Use it for quick scripts, prototyping, proof
of concept, spikes, non-critical code, and so on.

The "law of software osmosis" (which I just made up) says that
if it works well enough, it will eventually seep into production.

As for me, I'm seriously thinking of learning Python as my LOTY
(using the six minutes per month of free time that I have).

Hal