Christopher Dunn
3/2/2006 11:53:00 PM
> Ruby is SLOW! Even compared to Python.
i've never had a problem with this and am routinely process files ranging
from
40mb to 3gb - one only has to use c extensions.
That's true. You can always fall back on an extension. The thing is, I
actually prefer Python for C++ proto-typing. It maps so well to C++, STL,
and Boost.
why do you see dynamic typing as a contributor to slowdown?
I'm no expert. There were interesting remarks on this point from the author
of Boo. This is from the Boo FAQ:
Performance: since it is statically typed, can I expect a performance equal
or close to c# or vb.net?
Yes.
At the Digital Mars D language website (D is the way C++ should be) there is
a comment that a compiler writer should have had more input into the design
of C++. D is blazingly fast, but significantly easier to read and to code
than C++. It also includes integrated testing and design-by-contract.
So 'agile' does not have to mean 'slow'.
> Boo and Ocaml are examples of fast, agile languages, and if more companies
> would adopt them, I'd switch in a heartbeat.
ocaml is very good - but it's a massive paradigm shift for most people's
thought train... most real world problems are imperitive.
Ruby is quite a paradigm shift itself! Continuations are mind-blowing.
I love the whole concept.
What I'm saying is that the author of Boo, by realizing the difference
between dynamic-typing and type-inferencing, achieved the best of both
worlds.