Comments on: “But why didn’t you write it in Ruby…?” http://niksilver.com/2008/01/23/but-why-didnt-you-write-it-in-ruby/ Mostly about the management of software development Thu, 04 Dec 2008 20:25:27 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: PhilWills http://niksilver.com/2008/01/23/but-why-didnt-you-write-it-in-ruby/#comment-23008 PhilWills Thu, 24 Jan 2008 23:47:44 +0000 http://niksilver.com/2008/01/23/but-why-didnt-you-write-it-in-ruby/#comment-23008 One thing I think you neglected Nik is tooling support. IDEs, as any zealot will tell you, are a horrible crutch to cover broken languages. However, when you have a team of more than 10 people, it's really, really important to be able to have a quick tool to find all references to an object/method/onion and whilst a general file search will get you 90% of the way there, developers who aren't worryingly intimate with the codebase will generally lack the courage to refactor if they don't have the warm comfort blanket of a search backed up by a compiler. There are lots of other nice things about tools, but that's the really key one from which most flow and the one I can't see how you'd replicate without a strongly typed language. One thing I think you neglected Nik is tooling support. IDEs, as any zealot will tell you, are a horrible crutch to cover broken languages. However, when you have a team of more than 10 people, it’s really, really important to be able to have a quick tool to find all references to an object/method/onion and whilst a general file search will get you 90% of the way there, developers who aren’t worryingly intimate with the codebase will generally lack the courage to refactor if they don’t have the warm comfort blanket of a search backed up by a compiler.

There are lots of other nice things about tools, but that’s the really key one from which most flow and the one I can’t see how you’d replicate without a strongly typed language.

]]> By: Rupert http://niksilver.com/2008/01/23/but-why-didnt-you-write-it-in-ruby/#comment-22977 Rupert Thu, 24 Jan 2008 10:13:19 +0000 http://niksilver.com/2008/01/23/but-why-didnt-you-write-it-in-ruby/#comment-22977 Anyway, the Ruby backlash has begun ;) http://www.zedshaw.com/rants/rails_is_a_ghetto.html Anyway, the Ruby backlash has begun ;)
http://www.zedshaw.com/rants/rails_is_a_ghetto.html

]]> By: Nik http://niksilver.com/2008/01/23/but-why-didnt-you-write-it-in-ruby/#comment-22925 Nik Wed, 23 Jan 2008 13:22:21 +0000 http://niksilver.com/2008/01/23/but-why-didnt-you-write-it-in-ruby/#comment-22925 Dave, yes, of course you're right. If I was answering the question you formulated for a specific value of $random_dynamic_language, then that third point would be part of the answer, along with some other thoughts which would most likely be specific to that language.<sup>[1]</sup> However, if you don't mind I don't have the inclination to answer the question for other languages. It's very unusual to be asked about them, which tells you something about the advocates of Ruby, or other dynamic languages, or both. <em>[1] Assuming $random_dynamic_language does actually reference a language; it's hard to tell, since it seems to be untyped.</em> Dave, yes, of course you’re right. If I was answering the question you formulated for a specific value of $random_dynamic_language, then that third point would be part of the answer, along with some other thoughts which would most likely be specific to that language.[1]

However, if you don’t mind I don’t have the inclination to answer the question for other languages. It’s very unusual to be asked about them, which tells you something about the advocates of Ruby, or other dynamic languages, or both.

[1] Assuming $random_dynamic_language does actually reference a language; it’s hard to tell, since it seems to be untyped.

]]> By: Dave Cross http://niksilver.com/2008/01/23/but-why-didnt-you-write-it-in-ruby/#comment-22909 Dave Cross Wed, 23 Jan 2008 09:34:45 +0000 http://niksilver.com/2008/01/23/but-why-didnt-you-write-it-in-ruby/#comment-22909 <i>We weren’t comfortable that a language with the fluidity and flexibility of Ruby would provide that.</i> Most of your other arguments apply specifically to Ruby, but this point addresses the wider question - "why didn't you write it in $random_dynamic_language"? We weren’t comfortable that a language with the fluidity and flexibility of Ruby would provide that.
Most of your other arguments apply specifically to Ruby, but this point addresses the wider question - “why didn’t you write it in $random_dynamic_language”?

]]>