Let me just start this by saying that I have absolutely no intention of ever learning Ruby, the programming language. It's not that I harbor some sort of deep detestation against it, it's just that I don't see the point of learning it, I don't see how Ruby will do anything for me which other languages can't. It's nothing personal. It's like they say; we just don't click, there is no chemistry between us, Ruby and I.
There might come a time in the future when, for some reason, I need to learn Ruby, most likely due to circumstances beyond my control. In which case, fine, I'll learn Ruby, and I'll be wearing a smile while I'm doing so. I have no beef with Ruby, I just don't see Ruby as something that fits into my life right now. I don't have time for any more programming languages, I already feel bad for not spending enough quality time with Python, which is a language I'd actually like to know better.
Nevertheless, I'm looking forward to the next chapters in Why's (Poignant) Guide to Ruby. I'd be reading it right now if there were more chapters written, I just can't put it down. And I don't even want to learn Ruby. I wish it was Why's (Poignant) Guide to Python, because that's a language I actually want to learn properly, alas there is no such guide, there is only the one about Ruby.
Why's (Poignant) Guide to Ruby isn't just a guide to a programming language, it's also a comic book, or a funny illustrated story, which just happens to be about a programming language. Even if you don't want to learn Ruby, even if programming languages don't interest you the least bit (ok, maybe just a tiny bit), I would still recommend this highly entertaining story.
Who is Ruby for, anyways? Is there proof that intelligent lifeforms actually use this little language for practical purposes? I'm skeptical. It wouldn't surprise me if Ruby was conceived simply for the purpose of writing funny illustrated stories about. Whatever the case may be, more power to it!
Update: Chapter four is now available, and by now I'm starting to really like Ruby. The comics were better in the previous chapters though.
Comments
I've been meaning to learn Ruby for a long time now. It's just that I haven't found a good reason to. I just can't sit down and try doing stuff in a programming language, I need a good project and a goal to aim for. And there's nothing so far that I feel I need to do in Ruby when I can do it in some language I'm already better at.
Comment by Johan Svensson at 02:25, 29 Feb, 2004 #
You're missing out if you're not using Ruby. It is the most productive language I've ever worked in. In Japan, it is far more popular than Python. A lot of people are starting to use it in commercial environments in the USA. It's only really been on the scene in the US for a couple of years yet.
Lemme turn the tables and ask: why Python over ruby? Because you enjoy extra typing? Because you find joy in source code files becoming meaningless when you email them? Because you don't like fully object oriented programming? Because you don't need to read XML files in a mindnumbingly simple fashion?
Comment by Chris at 07:37, 05 Mar, 2004 #
I have a friend named (not really, but she calls hersef:) Ruby and so learned the language and, no, it won't really do anything Perl won't do but I like it better than Python.
Comment by jimbuh at 18:03, 05 Mar, 2004 #
Just to address your last paragraph, about whether Ruby is being used for anything practical, check out this page of the Ruby Wiki: http://www.rubygarden.org/ruby?RealWorldRuby
Comment by Karl at 15:34, 15 Mar, 2004 #
The discussion has been closed on this entry. Thanks to everybody who participated.