Oscar Renalias
Using Dynamic Languages to
Achieve Higher Development
Productivity and Agility
October 11, 2013
Organizers
Top Media Partner
Media Partner
Supporter

@oscarrenalias
github.com/oscarrenalias
oscar.renalias@accenture.com
oscar@renalias.net

Key characteristics of Dynamic Languages

Dynamic typing

Interpreted

Code conciseness

Support for the interactive REPL (read-evaluate-print loop)

Major Dynamic Language Technologies
Framework
Framework
Framework
Language
Language
Language
Platform
Framework
Platform
Browser
JVM
OS (Unix, Linux, Windows, iOS)
Copyright © 2013 Accenture All rights reserved.
4

Our focus
Framework
Framework
Framework
Language
Language
Language
Platform
Framework
Platform
Browser
JVM
OS (Unix, Linux, Windows, iOS)
Copyright © 2013 Accenture All rights reserved.
5

Ruby
Mature object-oriented language with tons of
libraries and great support for Domain Specific
Languages

Released in 1996

Object-oriented, support for functional programming

Extensive library

Syntax enables great support for internal DSLs

Short learning curve for Java developers

Runs on the JVM as JRuby

Ruby on Rails is the best example of what can be done
with Ruby

PHP
Probably the most widely-used web development
language

Strongly oriented to web applications

Ubiquitous ISP support

Vast library of components

Easy to learn

Very powerful, but not as clean as the other major
dynamic languages

Commercially supported by Zend

Python
Clean, well-designed language that enforces
readable code

Predates Java

Object-oriented with functional programming support

Extensive library

Readable structure promotes maintainable code

Easy to integrate with and wrap C/C++ code

No commercial vendor support

Jython is a fully-compliant Python implementation that
runs on the JVM

JavaScript
Ubiquitous client-side language that has been
recently gaining acceptance as a server-side
language too

Mature language, created for web browsers in 1995

Prototype-based object-oriented language with support for
functional programming

Interest in JavaScript was boosted by Ajax and
frameworks like jQuery

Easy to learn, a bit quirky in some areas

Node.js has accelerated the adoption of JavaScript for
server-side development

Groovy
Ruby-like language for the JVM

Mature dyamic capabilities on the JVM

Integrates seamlessly with Java, effectively leverages all
of Java’s capabilities and ecosystem

Object-oriented, advanced meta-programming and
functional programming features

Promotes code conciseness, comparable to that of Ruby

Strong support for domain-specific languages

Vendor support from VMware

Scala
Powerful functional programming language for the
JVM

Strong following

Hybrid object-oriented and functional programming language

Compiled, runs on the JVM, Steep learning curve

Well-suited for high-productivity development of quality-critical,
complex logic

Excellent support for Domain Specific Languages

Proomotes concurrency through the Actor framework

Vendor support from Typesafe

Akka and Play Framework are built on Scala

Clojure
Strongly opinionated Lisp for the JVM

Lisp compiled for the JVM

Fully functional oriented

Designed to dramatically simplify concurrent programming
and leverage multi-core processor architectures

Philosophy is that of smaller composable libraries as
opposed to monolithic frameworks

Easier than Scala, just as weird for Java developers

No vendor support

Who’s using what?
Ruby
Rails, Chef, Puppet,
Cucumber
GOV.UK, Github, Twitter, Hulu,
ESPN
PHP
Drupal, Wordpress
Flickr, Yahoo, Facebook,
Wikipedia, Digg
Python
Django, Google
Big data projects, Washington
Post
JavaScript
jQuery, Node.js
Virtually every web Application,
LinkedIn, Yammer, Yahoo
Groovy
Grails
Sky.com, wired.com, Canoo.com
Scala
Play, Akka
Twitter, FourSquare, The
Guardian, LinkedIn, Klout
Clojure
Compojure, Cascalog,
Pallet, Riemann
Twitter, Akamai, Prismatic

Why Are Dynamic Languages Important?
Establishing a strong capability in dynamic
languages can position the enterprise for higher
software delivery productivity and agility

Alternative to heavy-weight traditional approaches

Strong support for agility, possibility of dramatically better
productivity and time-to-market

Increased interest in browser-centric and asynchronous web
technologies

Many proven examples in industry

New generation of developers considers them more fun and
exciting

Growing support from industry analysts and thought leaders

Industry Trends
Dynamic languages have an established market
position and are gaining in popularity and
adoption

Ruby, Python, JavaScript, and PHP are consistently
ranked among the top 10 most popular languages by
industry surveys

Recent increase in demand for Ruby, Python, Groovy, and
PHP (Drupal) skills from some of our largest clients

ThoughtWorks’s Oct 2012 Tech Radar moved Scala and
Clojure from “Trial” to “Adopt”

Agility
Dynamic languages are powerful enablers of
agile delivery – methodology is not enough

Cumbersome technology and heavy-weight architecture
do not align well with agile

Extraordinarily rapid code-test workflows is strong enabler
of agile delivery

High-productivity tools and lightweight architectures

In some cases can be twice as fast at half the cost as with
Java or .Net

Synergies with PaaS/SaaS technology for development
and production deployment

Business Application Scenarios
Many kinds of business applications are wellsuited for development with dynamic languages

Media, marketing and e-commerce sites

Application pilots

Location-based, mobile web applications

Web frontend for back-end services

RESTful service APIs

Scientific computing

Big Data

Dev Ops

Fit for Enterprise
Dynamic languages are an important enabler of
software delivery for the enterprise

Organizations and large companies use dynamic languages

High productivity, agile development, fast time-to-market

Reliability

Abundance of libraries

Multi-platform

Mature set of development tools

Strong support ecosystem and commercial vendor support

Performance ranges from acceptable to excellent

Synergy with Other Technologies
Augmenting Java

Significantly faster development of web front-ends

Development of frameworks and complex logic

Continue leveraging existing Java skills and tooling

Synergy with Existing Technologies
Agility for “New Web” applications

Applications involving event-driven and highly responsive
user interfaces

Gartner recommends dynamic language frameworks,
avoid traditional MVC frameworks

Synergy with Existing Technologies
Agility for mobile development

Develop mobile web sites and RESTful APIs

JavaScript & HTML5 write-once-deploy-many, usability
approaching that of native

Synergy with Existing Technologies
Synergy with PaaS technology

Streamlined PaaS support from many of the largest PaaS
providers, further accelerating end-to-end solution delivery

Challenges and Concerns – Performance
Performance and Scalability

Dynamic language performance can’t be ignored, but it is
typically not an issue

Dynamic language applications proven to scale up to very
high transaction volumes

Challenges and Concerns – Skills
Skills and Team Size

Skills availability can be a challenge -- fewer developers
than with Java

Our experience shows Java developers can be rapidly
trained to a moderate level of proficiency

Scaling to very large applications with large teams is
unproven for some dynamic languages

Challenges and Concerns – Adoption
Adoption can be politically difficult due to prior
investments

Corporate IT departments reluctant to introduce additional
languages

Compatibility with existing corporate practices, standards,
and tools can be a challenge

In a Java shop, the introduction of JVM dynamic
languages can be relatively smooth -- existing
investments can be leveraged

Complexity associated with introducing another required
skill may be overrated

Take-away: Why We Should Care About
Dynamic Languages
We care when we need to…

Compress timelines

Be more flexible

Increase creativity

Mitigate risk