From: Brian McCallister <mccallister@...>
Date: 2003-07-29T03:39:23+09:00
Subject: Re: Fishing for ideas: Ruby-talk for Java coders

As a full-time Just-A-Programmer using Java (at work), and a part-time 
Just-A-Programmer using Ruby (at home) the things that I like about 
Ruby that Java lacks:
	+ Reflection in Ruby blows away reflection in Java.
	+ Blocks
	+ Interoperability via JRuby if you need it
	+ Multiple return values
	+ No compile step
	+ Shorter, prettier code
	+ Runtime inheritance, singletons, etc
	+ First-class

Things I really miss from Java:
	+ No IntelliJ IDEA (or Eclipse, which would be enough, but really, in 
the end, no IDEA)
	+ Ruby standard library documentation navigation isn't as good as 
Java's
	+ No general purpose O-R tool (Vapor (written by a Java guy I bet) for 
Postgres, but I don't always use Postgres)

-Brian

On Monday, July 28, 2003, at 01:55 PM, Ben Giddings wrote:

> On Mon July 28 2003 1:06 pm, Armin Roehrl wrote:
>> I am only fishing for ideas. What would you focus on? We have 60 
>> minutes of
>> talking time.
>>
>> I guess we /must/ mention interoperability with Java.
>
> * The ways in which Ruby beats Java in OO design
>   + Subclassing of built-in types
>   + Everything (numbers and characters included) supports .kind_of? 
> and stuff
> (Because Java coders like to think their language is the ultimate in OO
> design)
>
> * The way in which Ruby beats Java when it comes to super simple 
> programs
> (Because in Java the simplest program still requires a class, main 
> function,
> etc)
>
> * Mention that Ruby is open-sourced unlike Java
>
> * Show off the Ruby interpreter (something Java lacks)
>
> * Introduce things like blocks, bindings, continuations, etc.
>
>
>