"Mark Nenadov" <mnenadov / stclairc.on.ca> wrote in message
news:20010722.174044.1820388464.11017 / d150-169-166.home.cgocable.net...
> Hello. I have toyed with the idea of trying Ruby out for some time now.
> However, I have not found any major feature that puts it enough above
Python.

One thing I don't see too many people talk about is the way regular
expressions are handled.  Perl has a simple to use regex syntax (although
not so easy to read all the time) and is the #1 reason why I use Perl.  It's
the text processor to end all text processors and so many things that I deal
with these days (HTML, XML, FTP, SMTP, etc) are text based .  Ruby's regular
expressions are similar to Perl.  None of that "compile this", "run that"
expression stuff you get with C/C++, Java, and last time I looked, Python.
It's built into Ruby and Perl, I really like that for ease of use.  And of
course Ruby is so much better for long-term projects than Perl.

This has been said before and I'll say it again:
Ruby has the power and ease of use of Perl combined with a nice OO
environment similar to Python, it's the best of both worlds.

I am a bit biased of course.  I've been using Perl for many years now and
was tired of trying to maintain complicated projects.  I tried Python hoping
to get the structure and OO stuff lacking in Perl.  The problem was that I
just didn't like losing all the nice simple-to-use things you get with Perl.
Ruby finally gave me what I've been looking for.

> Is there any sort of effort to port Ruby to the Palm's?

I would like to see this as well.

BTW, I love the Ruby community.  Everyone is so nice, a rare thing to see
these days on the 'Net.  :)

--
// Chris