From: Curt Hibbs Date: 2004-05-07T01:36:23+09:00 Subject: Re: [OT]Is Ruby Top 1 of Programming Languages that are Loved? Sean Russell wrote: > > ptkwt@aracnet.com (Phil Tomson) wrote in message > news:... > > > >must so many of us wear the Cruel Shoes of Java? Ruby needs a killer > > >app, like an interpreter in Mozilla so that web designers can script > > >with Ruby instead of Javascript. > > > > That would be very nice. Maybe it's a matter of 'converting' the right > > people in the Mozilla project. > > Maybe. I mean, it wouldn't be widespread unless other browsers > started supporting it (IE, in particular), but it would be nice. I > think if somebody submitted a patch to Mozilla that enabled this > support, it might be kindly received. Perhaps not. Ruby support in Mozilla would not be limited to just browser use. Mozilla is actually a complete development platform whose core features include XML based GUI specification, HTML rendering and deep support for internet connectivity. All Mozilla applications (browser, email, news reader) are basically written in JavaScript that run on top of the "mozilla platform". If this could be done in Ruby instead of JavaScript then you could build Ruby applications that build on the full power of the mozilla platform (and, incidentally, you could use Ruby to script your HTML pages -- but, as you pointed out, this would be of limited usefulness with the support of other browsers). Its not necessary to inspire or 'convert' anyone on the mozilla project. The design of Mozilla provides for multiple scripting languages, its just that JavaScript is the only one implemented so far. All it would take is for some Ruby champion with enough interest and time to develop a Mozilla plugin (XPCOM object, in Mozilla parlance) that adds Ruby support to Mozilla. I've brought this up several times hoping some Ruby developer would get excited enough to give it a try (I wish I had the time). But so far it hasn't happened. Curt