These are the concepts that got me interested, by leveraging my
Java/C++ heritage, my mild Perl experience, my Python experiment, and
the Smalltalk mystique that drifts back and forth across the computing
landscape...
1. you can fit in your mind and write code without looking at the docs
every six minutes.
2. less syntax and less typing
3. Fixed what's wrong with Perl
4. Fixes what's wrong with Python
5. It's super productive (like Perl, Python and Smalltalk)- maybe 5-10x Java.

This excited me, because I always wanted to learn Smalltalk...
= 6. Is a lot like Smalltalk, but doesn't look as funny

JavaScript gets some unfair knocks, so maybe best avoided...
+ 7. Is a lot like JavaScript, but more OO and more for ful app development

The following are cool when you know them, and in many ways the heart
of Ruby, but were meaningless to me until I banged my head against
them for a while. I think a lot of what is exciting about Ruby is
better learned then taught, much like Zen meditation. Just think what
marketing these concepts did for Smalltalk and Lisp- Java and C#.
* 8. Blocks and Closures
* 9. Open Classes
* 10. Duck Typing

Regards,
Nick

On Fri, 28 Jan 2005 02:55:46 +0900, Jim Weirich <jim / weirichhouse.org> wrote:
> We will be introducing Ruby to our XP Users group in Cincinnati next week.
>  I thought it would be fun to create a list of "Ten Things Every Java
> Programmer Should Know About Ruby" to help the transition.  I've got a
> number of things in my head, but would love to hear ideas from the mailing
> list.
> 
> So go ahead and submit your ideas.  What things should a Java programmer
> be aware of when starting out in Ruby?
> 
> --
> -- Jim Weirich     jim / weirichhouse.org    http://onestepback.org
> -----------------------------------------------------------------
> "Beware of bugs in the above code; I have only proved it correct,
> not tried it." -- Donald Knuth (in a memo to Peter van Emde Boas)
> 
>