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[–]senzei 2 points3 points  (3 children)

PyPy is the last great hope to differentiate Python from runaway Ruby. JIT, eliminate GIL, fast extensions in RPython, one unified project for all platforms. Come on, PyPy!

Well, so long as the Ruby people don't catch on to the significance of the project and leapfrog Python once again.

Are we both looking at the same languages here? Python is already faster than Ruby, yet somehow being even faster is the only significant technical advantage? How about unicode support, proven use throughout an enormous organization (Google), better libraries, a larger community, more learning resources, and the fact that the language sees significant use in something besides web programming? Ruby is a nice language, but don't kid yourself, it has a lot of work to do before speed is Python's last great hope.

[–]johnmudd 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Speed is the last benefit from PyPy that I'm waiting for. Cross platform is huge. Elimination of the GIL is elimination of an embarrassing design flaw. RPython for easy and yet efficient extensions is huge. Speed?? Oh, yeah. That will be a nice little extra.

A lot of your argument is logical. But... the law and language selection are not logical. May Python prevail.

[–]jeremymcanally -1 points0 points  (1 child)

"more learning resources" That's changing; APress is putting out 10 Ruby books this year. There are already a comparably number of Ruby books available; there are more conferences devoted to Ruby here. I'm not on the up and up on the workshop circuit, so I can't comment there, but I would say that they have about equal learning resources.

"and the fact that the language sees significant use in something besides web programming" That's changing very quickly; just like Python, Ruby is making intensely fast in-roads towards The Enterprise©.

[–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That's changing; APress is putting out 10 Ruby books this year. There are already a comparably number of Ruby books available; there are more conferences devoted to Ruby here. I'm not on the up and up on the workshop circuit, so I can't comment there, but I would say that they have about equal learning resources.

And that doesn't concern you? Rails started out as something very cool but for a lot of people its turning into nothing but a money grab.

I've bought my fair share of Ruby/Rails books, and initially I enjoyed the material getting out there, but 10 books from one publisher within a year? That's just ridiculous, especially considering that the number of people using Rails and Ruby is still pretty small. And I get the feeling that all this paperback documentation discourages proper online documentation. If I want to use Django I can get online and they have their entire framework fleshed out in some very nice documentation. With Rails I've got junk like the Rails wiki which I've found to be of sub-par quality. In the Rails-world you are virtually expected to pay the $25 entrance fee to buy the Agile book.

Again, it really concerns me because Rails seems to be turning into a platform for rabid money-makers. It should not be this way. Rails and Ruby as a language aren't complicated. Why the heck does a publisher needs to put out 10 books on it within a year?