Re: [Rubydotnet-developer] Ruby / DotNet bridge is now live in the WebEvaluator

[John R. P. <jo...@pi...>]

Both Ben and I have discussed this to some extent.  We agree that scripting .NET
is a killer app.  We use the Ruby / .NET bridge quite a bit now at our place of
employment.  Even though it is a bit experimental, we have used it to build
developer tools and perform fixes on live product object systems in .NET.  We
are a SQL Server shop, and if you haven't used SQL Server, they have a really
cool product called Query Analyzer to build and test SQL scripts in.  Well,
we've been called our Ruby / .NET bridge the Object Analyzer equivalent.  We can
connect to remote .NET objects and query them, manipulate them, and work them
around in a very live way!  Very cool stuff and a life saver at times.

That said, the technology we have is not without its issues. More development is
needed and some things will be just plain impossible without improved support
from the CLR for dynamic languages.  For instance, the technology we have
constructed right now is using TCP sockets to form the bridge. From one
perspective, the TCP socket bridge is really, really flexible and clients for
SmallTalk, Perl, and Python could be built.  After all, what language doesn't
have a sockets library?

Currently I am working on a native C extension to Ruby that will improve
performance, when performance is more important.  I hope to have that finished
in a week's time.

Lastly, both Ben and I discussed the current code base we have.  We are going to
release the bridge as Open Source (all the way).  We also agree that the bridge,
while enormously important technology, is not where the money is to be had.  It
is in the killer apps.  So, time permitting, our code is coming to the
community.  We absolutely want to see it get further development from others in
this space.

Regards,

John Pierce
Executive Director, Information Services
Prologue Research International, Inc.

On Fri, 18 Jul 2003 18:57:44 -0400, Richard Kilmer wrote:

> 
> Well, I want to bring this list up to date on why I am involved in this.
> 
> Last week at OSCON I was invited to attend a dinner hosted by 
> Microsoft's .NET/CLR/Webservices teams and coordinated by Tim O'Reilly. 
>   Present were the who's who of language creators including Matz (Ruby), 
> Larry Wall (Perl), Guido Von Rossum (Python). Also, Miguel de Icaza 
> (Mono), Dan Sugalski (Perl 6) and scores of web services folk.  On the 
> Microsoft side was the product managers for .NET and the CLR teams and 
> David Stutz (former SSCLI manager).  The discussion was about 
> integrating Perl/Python/Ruby with .NET.  Its well known that when you 
> run a dynamic language on .NET it looses its dynamic nature and the 
> discussion went back and forth on the issues involved.  The next day I 
> spoke for a couple of hours with Peter Drayton, product manager of the 
> CLR.  I expressed an interest in binding the Ruby (current) runtime 
> with .NET as a first step, but to do it open-source (as in completely 
> open) as opposed to the ActiveState Perl (closed source) binding.  He 
> offered any assistance that was needed to do this (people/time...no 
> $$).  So, I going to start the coordination of such an effort when 
> Thomas sent his (well timed) email to the RubyTalk list.  My plan was 
> to apply myself and someone who works for me (in a part time capacity) 
> to build the bridge.
> 
> So, that's the history.  I really think that scripting .NET with Ruby 
> would be a killer application space for Ruby, and open up all kinds of 
> commercial uses of it.  One of my goals is to keep the .NET bridge open 
> and documented.  The value is less in the bridge than the applications 
> it enables (not that the bridge itself is not important...its vital).  
> I would be interested in other folks views on this, especially John and 
> Ben who have working code.
> 
> Best,
> 
> Rich Kilmer
> 571.332.6896 (cell)
> 
> 
> On Friday, July 18, 2003, at 04:25  PM, John R. Pierce wrote:
> 
> > The list just got off the ground yesterday.  Mostly introductory 
> > messages about
> > folks plans for developing Ruby and .NET based technologies have been 
> > discussed.
> 
> 
> 
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