The Pragmatic Programmers, LLC Andrew Hunt RUBY INSURGENCY

RUBY

RUBY

What is “insurgency”? Main Entry: in·sur·gen·cy Function: noun Date: 1803 1 : the quality or state of being insurgent; specifically : a condition of revolt against a government that is less than an organized revolution and that is not recognized as belligerency

Main Entry: in·sur·gen·cy Function: noun Date: 1803 1 : the quality or state of being insurgent; specifically : a condition of revolt against a government that is less than an organized revolution and that is not recognized as belligerency

The Battlegound Fortress of corporate IT Guarded by trolls Fiefdoms devoted to tools, languages, methodologies, etc. Corporate I.T. X

Fortress of corporate IT

Guarded by trolls

Fiefdoms devoted to

tools, languages,

methodologies, etc.

How did Perl get in? Non-threatening, non-mission-critical “ Playing with the web” Better than /bin/sh, awk, cut, sed, ... Became mission critical! Ubiquitous, but still messy

Non-threatening, non-mission-critical

“ Playing with the web”

Better than /bin/sh, awk, cut, sed, ...

Became mission critical!

Ubiquitous, but still messy

How can Ruby get in? Ruby is better than Perl Better extensibility Evolution of Ruby programs over time Easier addition of C code modules Better maintainability Easier to read Easier to understand Principle of Least Surprise

Ruby is better than Perl

Better extensibility

Evolution of Ruby programs over time

Easier addition of C code modules

Better maintainability

Easier to read

Easier to understand

Principle of Least Surprise

Ruby offers ease and clarity of expression

How to leverage Ruby’s strength RubyLearn RubyGlue RubyFace RubyHack RubyRules Least threatening Most threatening

RubyLearn

RubyGlue

RubyFace

RubyHack

RubyRules

RubyLearn Ruby as CASE tool

RubyLearn No Ruby in development No Ruby in deployment Ruby as a “mental amplifier”

No Ruby in development

No Ruby in deployment

Ruby as a “mental amplifier”

RubyLearn Central activity to programming is learning The problem domain Domain language and business processes

Central activity to programming is learning

The problem domain

Domain language and business processes

RubyLearn Central activity to programming is learning What customer/client needs and wants Bits of technology (Java API’s, et al)

Central activity to programming is learning

What customer/client needs and wants

Bits of technology (Java API’s, et al)

RubyLearn Central activity to programming is learning System behavior, especially: under load given bad data

Central activity to programming is learning

System behavior, especially:

under load

given bad data

RubyLearn Algorithm Design Small, specific problem An ADT, new algorithm, or combination Stateful considerations Range and boundary semantics

Algorithm Design

Small, specific problem

An ADT, new algorithm, or combination

Stateful considerations

Range and boundary semantics

RubyLearn Architectural Spike Executable “big block diagram” Design by Contract across major interfaces Quickly run and validate assumptions (Like XUML, but more realistic and flexible)

Architectural Spike

Executable “big block diagram”

Design by Contract across major interfaces

Quickly run and validate assumptions

(Like XUML, but more realistic and flexible)

RubyLearn Module Prototyping Low-friction refactoring Tests Mock Objects Interfaces Refactor rapidly as you learn key relationships and characteristics

Module Prototyping

Low-friction refactoring

Tests

Mock Objects

Interfaces

Refactor rapidly as you learn key relationships and characteristics

RubyLearn – Key Points Low-friction Clarity of expression, easy to map to deployment language Quick and easy to modify/adapt as you learn Text based format amenable to tools

Low-friction

Clarity of expression, easy to map to deployment language

Quick and easy to modify/adapt as you learn

Text based format amenable to tools

RubyLearn – Key Points Low-friction Verifiable Unlike diagrams, can actually run it

Low-friction

Verifiable

Unlike diagrams, can actually run it

RubyLearn – Key Points Low-friction Verifiable Not much competition in this space Old hands use Smalltalk for this purpose (some Python) Newbies not used to thinking first

Low-friction

Verifiable

Not much competition in this space

Old hands use Smalltalk for this purpose (some Python)

Newbies not used to thinking first

RubyGlue Ruby runs development

RubyGlue Ruby in development only– No Ruby in deployment

Ruby in development only–

No Ruby in deployment

RubyGlue Strong area for Perl: “The Swiss-army Chainsaw” Powerful, but very messy Constrained to the blades available Gluing disparate bits of tech is hard Even harder trying to decode ${${$x[2]}[3]}[5] or $$a[2][2]

Strong area for Perl:

“The Swiss-army Chainsaw”

Powerful, but very messy

Constrained to the blades available

Gluing disparate bits of tech is hard

Even harder trying to decode ${${$x[2]}[3]}[5] or $$a[2][2]

RubyGlue Ruby is not a Swiss-army chainsaw More like a Star Trek™ replicator Say what you want, you get it “ Tea, Earl Grey, Hot” Makes supporting development easy

Ruby is not a Swiss-army chainsaw

More like a Star Trek™ replicator

Say what you want, you get it

“ Tea, Earl Grey, Hot”

Makes supporting development easy

RubyGlue It needs to be right It needs to be right now It needs to be maintainable

It needs to be right

It needs to be right now

It needs to be maintainable

RubyGlue Project Support Post nightly build output to web Annotate, hyperlink or highlight logs Customized Wikis Manage football pools, baby pools, etc.

Project Support

Post nightly build output to web

Annotate, hyperlink or highlight logs

Customized Wikis

Manage football pools, baby pools, etc.

RubyGlue – build automation Source files Other inputs Build processor - make - ant - Aegis Executable code Passed tests Documentation Database construction make make schema make doc make test

RubyGlue The Nightly Build * Current build status: There were 2 errors or unexpected exceptions 4 Java unit tests failed: com.loser.library.time.test.TestBasicZone com.loser.library.xmlapplication.test.TestXmlApplication com.loser.server.search.test.TestGetCalcConsReads com.loser.server.security.test.TestSecurity Build FAILS as of Friday, October 12 at 10:34AM. * Most Recent Log * DeveloperHandbook -- How to set up and develop code for this project * Project-wide Java doc

The Nightly Build

* Current build status:

There were 2 errors or unexpected exceptions

4 Java unit tests failed:

com.loser.library.time.test.TestBasicZone

com.loser.library.xmlapplication.test.TestXmlApplication

com.loser.server.search.test.TestGetCalcConsReads

com.loser.server.security.test.TestSecurity

Build FAILS as of Friday, October 12 at 10:34AM.

* Most Recent Log

* DeveloperHandbook -- How to set up and develop code for this project

* Project-wide Java doc

RubyGlue – annotated log

RubyGlue Build and Release procedure Oversee different compilation environments Assembling release Burn the CD-ROM or upload to ftp server

Build and Release procedure

Oversee different compilation environments

Assembling release

Burn the CD-ROM or upload to ftp server

RubyGlue – nightly build Developer 1 Source Source repository Automated build system C heck out source Issue build products Publish results Developer 2 Source Run automatically

RubyGlue Regression Test Automation Setting up database for unit tests Run and analyze output Notify team of build failures (e-mail, pager)

Regression Test Automation

Setting up database for unit tests

Run and analyze output

Notify team of build failures (e-mail, pager)

RubyGlue Documentation and Code generation As a straight code generator Telephone routing application: 6k Ruby generating 150k of C++ code

Documentation and Code generation

As a straight code generator

Telephone routing application:

6k Ruby generating 150k of C++ code

RubyGlue Documentation and Code generation Tweak results from other code generators (yacc, lex, java2idl) Create SQL load scripts for database from doc Documentation beyond capabilities of JavaDoc

Documentation and Code generation

Tweak results from other code generators (yacc, lex, java2idl)

Create SQL load scripts for database from doc

Documentation beyond capabilities of JavaDoc

RubyGlue All the things we would have used Perl for Much easier More maintainable Preserves intellectual property IT JUST WORKS.

All the things we would have used Perl for

Much easier

More maintainable

Preserves intellectual property

IT JUST WORKS.

RubyFace Ruby combines existing components

RubyFace Ruby in limited, special-purpose deployment Satisfy custom need based on existing components

Ruby in limited, special-purpose deployment

Satisfy custom need based on existing components

RubyFace Good products are scriptable Many turn to Python for this role Create more complex tests faster using Ruby scripts to call internals Easier to add composite functionality for custom jobs Leads to “Ruby on Top” architecture

Good products are scriptable

Many turn to Python for this role

Create more complex tests faster using Ruby scripts to call internals

Easier to add composite functionality for custom jobs

Leads to “Ruby on Top” architecture

RubyFace Ruby C code C++ code Other (via C)

“Ruby On Top” Ruby code defines available product Functional core written in Java C C++ Fortran Eiffel Anything you can bridge via C

Ruby code defines available product

Functional core written in

Java

C

C++

Fortran

Eiffel

Anything you can bridge via C

RubyFace – Example Telephone switch testing harness Uses Ruby to test commercial phone switch Drives 100,000 lines of C code

Telephone switch testing harness

Uses Ruby to test commercial phone switch

Drives 100,000 lines of C code

RubyFace Best of both worlds Preserves existing functionality Leverages Ruby’s flexibility Get used to the idea of deploying Ruby Like Eiffel’s Component Combinator (ca 1997)

Best of both worlds

Preserves existing functionality

Leverages Ruby’s flexibility

Get used to the idea of deploying Ruby

Like Eiffel’s Component Combinator (ca 1997)

RubyHack Ruby for one-time custom apps

RubyHack Pure Ruby, but small and focused Not mainline development Doesn’t depend on existing functionality Just hits the database Calls CORBA services Munges flat files related to the app Hacks the Registry

Pure Ruby, but small and focused

Not mainline development

Doesn’t depend on existing functionality

Just hits the database

Calls CORBA services

Munges flat files related to the app

Hacks the Registry

RubyHack Provide new capability without altering main product Correct errors in deployed product environment Provide diagnostic or debug information

Provide new capability without altering main product

Correct errors in deployed product environment

Provide diagnostic or debug information

RubyHack But how do you convince folks to deploy Ruby just for this?

But how do you convince folks to deploy Ruby just for this?

RubyRules Ruby as the deployment language

RubyRules We’ve used Ruby as design tool We’ve got Ruby running the development process Deployed Ruby as scripting engine to existing product Deployed Ruby standalone as an add-on to existing product

We’ve used Ruby as design tool

We’ve got Ruby running the development process

Deployed Ruby as scripting engine to existing product

Deployed Ruby standalone as an add-on to existing product

RubyRules You write the project in Ruby Test it with Ruby Deploy it with a Ruby installer

You write the project in Ruby

Test it with Ruby

Deploy it with a Ruby installer

Ruby Rules You’re in. Everybody wins.

You’re in.

Everybody wins.

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