Comments on: Ruby on Rails - bridging the gap? http://www.magpiebrain.com/blog/2005/04/20/ruby-on-rails-bridging-the-gap/ Sam Newman's blog Wed, 15 Oct 2008 19:56:13 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Chris Winters http://www.magpiebrain.com/blog/2005/04/20/ruby-on-rails-bridging-the-gap/#comment-693 Chris Winters Wed, 20 Apr 2005 19:29:24 +0000 http://www.magpiebrain.com/2005/04/20/ruby-on-rails-bridging-the-gap/#comment-693 Another thing: while primarily competing with C/C++ Java has been able to distance itself quite a bit from it (And with good reason.) There are certain applications for which you can only use C/C++, but many other applications are a fine fit for Java and you get very substantial benefits from moving (garbage collection primary among them). I think you'd get many benefits moving from Java to Ruby as well but I think they're diminished with the adoption of scripting-ish Java (Groovy, JavaScript) that has some of the benefits of dynamic languages while still providing access to well-known Java components. However, Ruby on the other end also competes with such well-known dynamic languages as Perl and, to a lesser extent, Python. But while Ruby is cleaner than Perl it's not really that different -- they're niches are much the same. While not everyone loves Perl, many people know Perl (and CPAN). So people switching from the lower end, where they're not able to use such great tools as IDEA, don't have much of an incentive either. Whatever happens, it's an interesting struggle and we (developers) benefit quite a bit from it. Another thing: while primarily competing with C/C++ Java has been able to distance itself quite a bit from it (And with good reason.) There are certain applications for which you can only use C/C++, but many other applications are a fine fit for Java and you get very substantial benefits from moving (garbage collection primary among them).

I think you’d get many benefits moving from Java to Ruby as well but I think they’re diminished with the adoption of scripting-ish Java (Groovy, JavaScript) that has some of the benefits of dynamic languages while still providing access to well-known Java components.

However, Ruby on the other end also competes with such well-known dynamic languages as Perl and, to a lesser extent, Python. But while Ruby is cleaner than Perl it’s not really that different—they’re niches are much the same. While not everyone loves Perl, many people know Perl (and CPAN). So people switching from the lower end, where they’re not able to use such great tools as IDEA, don’t have much of an incentive either.

Whatever happens, it’s an interesting struggle and we (developers) benefit quite a bit from it.

]]> By: Sam Newman http://www.magpiebrain.com/blog/2005/04/20/ruby-on-rails-bridging-the-gap/#comment-692 Sam Newman Wed, 20 Apr 2005 13:24:15 +0000 http://www.magpiebrain.com/2005/04/20/ruby-on-rails-bridging-the-gap/#comment-692 Right, I'm putting both of you on "the list(Things that annoy me)":http://www.magpiebrain.com/archives/2005/04/20/annoy. Expect an angry kitten to be dispatched to your ivory towers of pedantry soon. Right, I’m putting both of you on the list. Expect an angry kitten to be dispatched to your ivory towers of pedantry soon.

]]> By: stickler http://www.magpiebrain.com/blog/2005/04/20/ruby-on-rails-bridging-the-gap/#comment-691 stickler Wed, 20 Apr 2005 13:16:17 +0000 http://www.magpiebrain.com/2005/04/20/ruby-on-rails-bridging-the-gap/#comment-691 yes, the it's thing is annoying (makes one think the author is in middle school). yes, the it’s thing is annoying
(makes one think the author is
in middle school).

]]> By: Liz the Apostrophe Warden http://www.magpiebrain.com/blog/2005/04/20/ruby-on-rails-bridging-the-gap/#comment-690 Liz the Apostrophe Warden Wed, 20 Apr 2005 12:24:46 +0000 http://www.magpiebrain.com/2005/04/20/ruby-on-rails-bridging-the-gap/#comment-690 it's = it is its = belonging to it but other than that, great article. We were talking about Ruby on Rails in the pub yesterday. At some point I _will_ learn RoR! it’s = it is
its = belonging to it

but other than that, great article. We were talking about Ruby on Rails in the pub yesterday. At some point I will learn RoR!

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