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For decades, the Ruby community has been fractured in the way that it parses and understands Ruby code. After countless tools have been developed and person-hours have been invested, we still don't have a common language for understanding Ruby code. No longer! Starting in Ruby 3.3, we will have a single API for parsing and understanding Ruby code. This talk will cover the history of how we got here, what is getting built today, and what you can expect from this exciting future.
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In his talk titled 'The Future of Understanding Ruby Code' at RubyConf 2023, Kevin Newton addresses the historical challenges faced by the Ruby community in parsing and understanding Ruby code. For many years, the community has operated with a fractured ecosystem, leading to inconsistent interpretations of Ruby syntax across different tools and implementations. With the introduction of Ruby 3.3, a new common API called Prism is being developed to unify how Ruby code is parsed and understood. Key points from Kevin's discussion include: - **Current Issues**: The Ruby ecosystem currently consists of multiple parsers, such as CRuby's parser, JRuby, and Truffle Ruby, each with their own interpretations and versions of Ruby syntax. This fragmentation complicates maintenance and development, particularly when new syntax or changes are introduced. - **The Need for a Unified Parser**: Kevin developed the Prism parser with the goal of creating a single, maintainable parser for all Ruby implementations. Prism aims for high compatibility with existing Ruby code, error tolerance with meaningful messages, and portable functionality across runtimes. - **Development Process**: The talk elaborates on the development journey of Prism, including challenges faced, such as encoding variations, regular expressions handling, and the need for clear, maintainable code structure. The parser has been built to accept various syntax while simplifying the compilation process across Ruby implementations. - **Community Engagement and Contribution**: Kevin emphasizes the importance of fostering a supportive community around Ruby parsing. He encourages easier contributions from developers of all skill levels, promoting a collaborative effort to enhance Ruby tools and ecosystem. - **Future Aspirations**: Looking ahead, Prism is expected to enhance Ruby's capabilities, potentially allowing for more advanced features and tools that improve developer experience. Kevin envisions a Ruby community where contributors can focus on innovation rather than maintenance burdens introduced by multiple parsers. In conclusion, Kevin Newton's presentation highlights the pressing need for a unified understanding of Ruby code parsing as it moves forward into a more cohesive future. The efforts behind Prism aim not only to simplify the technical landscape of Ruby code but also to reinvigorate the community dedicated to its development and support.
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