Ranieri Teixeira wrote:

> I've downloaded the sources of Ruby 1.8.7-p22 and compiled it with MS CL
> compiler.

What a pain! Next time, get CygWin, and compile with GNU C.

 > Ok, very well. But, the code is in structured C, not in object
> oriented C++. Why? C++ doesn't provides the sabe low level facilities as C
> and the powerful abstractions, and good practices from the OOP paradigm?

All system-level engines are written in C, not C++. C has been a Standard for 
much longer, and has more compliant compilers. So any engine that wants to run 
on the widest number of platforms must use C. It compiles for everything from 
wristwatches to Mars Rovers.

The point of OOP is rapid code changes. That contradicts the goal of
super-widespread portability. No matter what your language, you must
chose one or the other, not both. And Ruby is indeed coded in Object
Oriented C. The ++ does not magically make every program OO.

C++ would not necessarily make Ruby easier to code; C++ objects can never map 
directly onto Ruby objects.

-- 
   Phlip