Code, the Universe and Everything.

I have grown up as a software developer with Smalltalk and other non-statically typed programming languages like Python and Scheme. I even took part in the development of a prototype-based language called Agora.

Now that Ruby is taking off, and after Nick showed me how to create a small Ruby on Rails application in no time, I am intrigued by the language. I am intrigued because the inventors of Ruby claim to have used some concepts from Smalltalk and I know the ins and outs of Smalltalk fairly well. I am also intrigued because the little time I spent coding the RoR application showed me two things: (1) creating a RoR application requires little real programming, and (2) from the first line of Ruby code I was struck by the ad hoc nature of some Ruby language constructs.

When I learn a new language, I look for qualities such as simplicity, consistency, expressiveness and elegance, qualities that influence my productivity when coding. This post is the first in a row of articles on Ruby to explore how well Ruby scores on these qualities.

This entry was posted on Sunday, April 15th, 2007 at 7:26 am and is filed under ruby. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.