Ruby – Past, Present, Future Adam Fine

Birth February 24, 1993‏ 1 st release December 1995‏ Yukihiro Matsumoto (''Matz'') ‏

February 24, 1993‏

1 st release December 1995‏

Yukihiro Matsumoto (''Matz'') ‏

Influences Lisp Smalltalk Perl

Lisp

Smalltalk

Perl

Lisp – everything is an expression Smalltalk – everything is an object Perl – everything should be possible Fundamentals

Lisp – everything is an expression

Smalltalk – everything is an object

Perl – everything should be possible

Characteristics Dynamic Reflective High level Multi-paradigm Feature-full (closures, continuations) ‏ Portable

Dynamic

Reflective

High level

Multi-paradigm

Feature-full (closures, continuations) ‏

Portable

Implementation Single pass C interpreter Written by a small group of volunteers Led by Yukihiro Matsumoto

Single pass C interpreter

Written by a small group of volunteers

Led by Yukihiro Matsumoto

Progression Gain popularity throughout Japan 1999: Ruby overtakes Python's mindshare in Japan Thriving Japanese community But no English docs Very few users outside Japan

Gain popularity throughout Japan

1999: Ruby overtakes Python's mindshare in Japan

Thriving Japanese community

But no English docs

Very few users outside Japan

2000‏ Ruby starts spreading outside Japan Pragmatic Programmers: Dave Thomas and Andy Hunt 2001: ''Programming Ruby'' (the PickAxe) - first major documentation in English Documents Ruby 1.6‏

Ruby starts spreading outside Japan

Pragmatic Programmers: Dave Thomas and Andy Hunt

2001: ''Programming Ruby'' (the PickAxe) - first major documentation in English

Documents Ruby 1.6‏

Just Yesterday Mainly used for high-level scripting and web Many interesting Web ideas and approaches:‏ Borges, Wee, Iowa, Cerise, cgikit, mod_ruby

Mainly used for high-level scripting and web

Many interesting Web ideas and approaches:‏

Borges, Wee, Iowa, Cerise, cgikit, mod_ruby

Ruby 1.8‏ Released August 4 th 2003‏ Language cleanup, less Perlish Implementation improvements

Released August 4 th 2003‏

Language cleanup, less Perlish

Implementation improvements

Rails Released July 2004‏ David Heinemeier Hansson chose Ruby Very small codebase A lot of functionality Attracts major attention

Released July 2004‏

David Heinemeier Hansson chose Ruby

Very small codebase

A lot of functionality

Attracts major attention

Today

1.8, 1.9, 2.0‏ 1.8: Production branch 1.9: Development, experimental branch 2.0: What 1.9 will mature into YARV

1.8: Production branch

1.9: Development, experimental branch

2.0: What 1.9 will mature into

YARV

YARV Lead Developer Koichi Sasada December 31, 2006: merged into the Ruby repository Bytecode-compiled

Lead Developer Koichi Sasada

December 31, 2006: merged into the Ruby repository

Bytecode-compiled

Rubinius Modelled after the Smalltalk-80 virtual machine Transparent Highly reflective Self-hosting, self-extensible Optimizable

Modelled after the Smalltalk-80 virtual machine

Transparent

Highly reflective

Self-hosting, self-extensible

Optimizable

JRuby Platform: the JVM A working interpreter, compiler in the works Better performance than MRI (CRuby) ‏ Integrates with Java Benefits from the Java codebase

Platform: the JVM

A working interpreter, compiler in the works

Better performance than MRI (CRuby) ‏

Integrates with Java

Benefits from the Java codebase

The DLR and IronRuby Platform: the CLR Optimized compilation, significant performance gains But currently vaporware Doubts about extent of dynamic feature support

Platform: the CLR

Optimized compilation, significant performance gains

But currently vaporware

Doubts about extent of dynamic feature support

XRuby Platform: the JVM Compiles to JVM bytecode Performance currently better than the JRuby interpreter Integration with the Java codebase Rails by the end of the year?‏

Platform: the JVM

Compiles to JVM bytecode

Performance currently better than the JRuby interpreter

Integration with the Java codebase

Rails by the end of the year?‏

The Future The Rails benchmark Ruby 2.0: re-design vs. backward compatibility New implementations, new ideas, new applications

The Rails benchmark

Ruby 2.0: re-design vs. backward compatibility

New implementations, new ideas, new applications

Thank you for listening