Yukihiro Matsumoto
Ruby Past Present and Future
#ruby
#yukihiro-matsumoto
#ruby-implementations
#future-of-ruby
#object-oriented-programming
#meta-programming
#domain-specific-language-dsl
Summarized using AI
Ruby Past Present and Future
by Yukihiro "Matz" MatsumotoIn the presentation titled "Ruby: Past, Present, and Future", Yukihiro "Matz" Matsumoto discusses the evolution of the Ruby programming language, outlining its history, current state, and future prospects. This talk was delivered at the LoneStarRuby Conf 2008, targeting both Ruby enthusiasts and software developers interested in language design.
Key points discussed during the presentation include:
- Origins of Ruby: Ruby was conceived by Matz in 1993, influenced by classical programming languages like Lisp, Smalltalk, and more utilitarian languages like Perl and Python. Matz aimed to create a language that offered scripting capabilities with a clean syntax and robust object-oriented features.
- Ruby's Evolution: The language transitioned from a hobby project to a widespread tool in the programming community, especially after the introduction of Rails in 2004, which significantly increased Ruby's popularity, particularly among web developers.
- Cross-Pollination with DSL and Meta DSL: Matz highlights the importance of Domain-Specific Languages (DSLs) built on Ruby, introducing the concept of a meta DSL, which allows developers to create custom languages tailored to specific applications easily.
- Ruby's Current Implementation Landscape: Matz provides insights into the various Ruby implementations available today, including MRI, JRuby, and Rubinius, each catering to different needs. He mentions JRuby's compatibility with the JVM and Ruby 1.8, aiming for higher performance.
- Future Prospects and Challenges: Matz emphasizes the need for Ruby to adapt to current industry demands, such as multilingual support and Unicode handling. He discusses potential growth in the Ruby development community and the importance of maintaining usability amid increased complexity.
Throughout the talk, Matz shares personal anecdotes from his journey of developing Ruby, reiterating his passion for programming and the joy it brings to both developers and users.
In conclusion, the future of Ruby looks promising but will require ongoing collaboration within the community to ensure its evolution remains aligned with the foundational principles of joy and productivity in programming.
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Video equipment rental costs were paid for by PeepCode.
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Okay, let's get started.
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I have exactly 100 slides, so I can talk for the full two hours.
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If you understood Japanese, I could speak for that long, but since you don't, I'm going to provide a digest version.
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Today, I will talk about the past, present, and future of Ruby, its history, philosophy, and future forecasts.
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More than 400 years ago, we had one language, and we sought the one true language. However, it wasn't great.
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Some people thought about emulating natural languages, which were good for that time but not suitable for multipurpose applications.
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It was a business-oriented language, a common business oral language. So, they decided to draw from mathematics.
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Unfortunately, some people disliked it too much, leading them to create less parenthesis-laden versions with algorithmic language.
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This eventually evolved into C and C++. It took some ideas from Lisp and Smalltalk, which became Java and C. However, these languages were very static and heavy.
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On the other hand, more flexible languages like Perl or Python emerged, which led to the development of Ruby.
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I don't claim that Ruby is the one true language, but it does have its unique charm.
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I started creating Ruby 15 years ago. Before that, I worked with various other languages.
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The Ruby project officially started on February 24, 1993, and at that time, it was just a hobby for me.
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I was passionate about programming and loved languages, which inspired me to develop Ruby.
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It's amazing to think that building something like Ruby could impact the world to such an extent, going beyond my expectations.
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The primary goal of Ruby was to provide scripting capabilities with a nice, clean syntax and robust object-oriented features.
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What I really wanted was to enjoy the process of creating the language itself and to see how people enjoy its use.
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During the design process, I drew ideas from various languages: Lisp semantics, a small object-oriented system, conservative syntax from C, features from Perl, and influences from Python.
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I released the first public version of Ruby on December 21, 1995, in a Japanese news group.
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In 1997, I was hired by a company called NSCL, which stands for Network Applied Communication Laboratory.
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I became a full-time open-source software developer there, and in 1995, the first Japanese book on Ruby was published.
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The English version followed a year later, and since then, Ruby has continued to grow, notably with the introduction of Rails around 2004.
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About ten years back, many people were unfamiliar with Ruby.
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Many would hear the name Ruby and say, 'Oh, I've heard of it, but I haven't used it yet.' They usually associated it with Rails.
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However, the situation has been changing. We now have popular books from Java that help guide developers to Ruby.
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The connection that Ruby has with Rails is undeniable. Rails has indeed boosted Ruby's popularity.
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The joy of programming is a vital factor, overshadowed in the industry by productivity metrics.
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The popularity of Rails can be attributed to its productivity; it can be seen as a domain-specific language for web applications built on Ruby.
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So, in a sense, it's appropriate to think of Rails as being built on top of Ruby.
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Recently, BSL (Business Specification Language) has become popular in programming circles.
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This brings us to Ruby. The flexibility of Ruby beautifully accommodates BSL.
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It allows for simpler expressions for specific domains, demonstrating that Ruby can help make BSL cleaner.
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As Dave Thomas once said, programming is a process of designing a DSL for your own application.
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I propose the concept of meta DSL, which serves as a good language for designing DSLs in applications.
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While I coined the term meta DSL recently, Japan has had a form of meta DSL for quite some time.
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Lisp is the oldest example of a meta DSL, with its simple syntax, flexible structure, and macro features.
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The simplicity and flexibility of Lisp make it an ideal language for experimenting with language development.
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But don't worry; I can help you navigate these languages even if they seem too complex.
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If you look closely at the coding examples I'm sharing, you might be surprised to find that they aren't written in Ruby, but in other languages.
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The challenge lies in learning to adapt to these languages without feeling overwhelmed by their complexity.
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Learning a new language can be costly and daunting for beginners, so we must balance flexibility with simplicity.
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Sometimes, smart individuals create complex languages that can lead to confusion rather than clarity.
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I consider myself an example of an ordinary person with a normal brain.
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We need to bring back balance to meta DSLs, emphasizing both flexibility and understandability.
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As a meta DSL, Ruby possesses a comprehensive model, with clear syntax that is both natural and stable.
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Without macros, Ruby enables users to define their syntax easily. Therefore, any new DSL derived from Ruby should adhere to its basic syntax.
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Writing DSLs on top of Ruby allows users to grasp semantics and meanings more intuitively, fostering easier comprehension.
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As the popularity of DSLs grows, so does the power of Ruby as a meta DSL.
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Now let’s talk about Ruby's journey into enterprise development.
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Today, many major companies—such as Microsoft, Oracle, and IBM—are using Ruby.
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According to a recent report, there are over one million professional Ruby developers worldwide.
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However, we project that number could rise to four million by 2013.
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While this growth is exciting, we must ensure we maintain our focus on the core values of programming.
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We must emphasize joy in programming and prioritize the programmers themselves.
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A surge in novice Ruby programmers may not always be beneficial, especially if they lack an understanding of the language's nuances.
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Ruby may be viewed as a 'young' language, yet it has matured significantly over the past 15 years.
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It’s essential for us to keep a positive attitude even as new Java programmers and others join the community.
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Programming languages have long lifecycles, unlike applications and frameworks, which tend to have shorter lifespans.
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Although Ruby on Rails is very popular now, we must expect new trends to emerge within the next few years.
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We believe Ruby will endure and evolve, and it's crucial that we actively pursue its future.
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But before discussing the future, let’s shift to the present.
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Currently, there are multiple Ruby implementations including MRI, JRuby, Rubinius, and others.
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Each of these serves different needs; JRuby, for instance, can work on the JVM, offering a faster alternative to MRI.
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Moreover, JRuby is designed to be compatible with Ruby 1.8 and aims to be an official implementation.
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JRuby developers strive to ensure its performance meets user expectations, especially as they have their eyes on Ruby 1.9.
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The Y variant of Ruby aims for speed and efficiency, labeling itself as the fastest Ruby available.
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Ruby is advancing with every new iteration and has begun exploring multi-threading with tools like fibers.
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Ruby 1.9 introduced additional asynchronous features that allow developers to utilize more efficient programming paradigms.
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Recently, I've also presented at Google Tech Talks, detailing more about influential features.
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The significance of Ruby has been acknowledged, and it’s evolving with added functionality.
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The developments around fibers need to be closely observed, as they may lead to groundbreaking applications.
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MTL (Multilingualization) is another effort we're focusing on, exploring how Ruby handles characters in various languages.
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We need to ensure Ruby handles a variety of character sets, as language use is diverse and ever-growing.
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Working with Unicode will enable us to avoid issues with legacy data, which has plagued software development for years.
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However, this transition should not come with excessive complications that hinder user experience.
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Nearly every software tool and language today is grappling with these challenges, and Ruby must adapt to continue being relevant.
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The goal for Ruby moving forward is to create a pluggable architecture that accounts for these variations.
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As we address these challenges, we must also consider performance and efficiency.
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After implementing our findings, Ruby will continue generating effective solutions with robust performance.
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Even though the challenges are significant, a collaborative approach to development can yield fruitful results.
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I envision a future where Ruby can seamlessly handle varied languages, ensuring accessibility for all.
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However, we must not forget that flexibility comes with the responsibility of maintaining usability.
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Maintaining a balance between flexibility and simplicity will determine Ruby's sustainable growth over time.
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In conclusion, we have various exciting developments on the horizon, and collaborations will be crucial moving forward.
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Ensuring the community remains robust and vibrant is vital for Ruby's future.
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We are poised for growth, and with your support and involvement, the possibilities are endless.
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Thank you for your attention, and I look forward to the future of Ruby with all of you.
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With excitement and hope, I continue my work in Ruby for the next 40 years or more!
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Thank you once again, everyone!
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Video equipment rental costs were paid for by PeepCode.
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Thank you for joining us for the screencasts.
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