On Sun, 15 May 2005, Nick Rout wrote:
OK that is probably a simple problem, maybe too simple. In fact maybe we need a simple problem and a more complex problem.
I'm prepared to take on the Ruby demo. But the traditional "closed room programming test" fails to illustrate the power of modern scripting languages.
One of the truly great things about scripting is ability to do both tiny but very nifty one liners to full on OO applications.
One of the things I like to show off is growing a script...
Literally starting from a one liner and growing it in small refactorings all the way up to a big OO app.
ie. I would prefer to demo on a very simple problem that can grow.
The other remarkable feature of scripting languages is that they are excellent glue. Both in the network sense, and in the sense of glueing apps together.
In the usual programming "test" you are forced to stick with the Lowest Common Denominator of available problems.
With scripting languages real life problems are typically about "glueing" together other existing apps.
For example it is rare that I write a script that is _just_ ruby. I usually use a big mix of dot, tar, gv, convert, find, grep, the binutils, wget, ssh, ... which ever of the 3527 programs accessible instantly from my debian command line that does the job best.
Linux & Ruby provides a host of IPC mechanisms for chatting to these things. Whether pipes, pseudo-ttys, sockets, or backtick.... it's just so easy.
So I would suggest making a problem that chews on the output and/or provides input for some other program.
Furthermore I always program "online". I rarely write a program that is "all my own code", that would be hopelessly inefficient. Google, raa, apt are always just a click away. Need to create digraphs, install Graphviz. Need a nifty module grabbit from RAA. Need to check on a feature? The textbook is online.
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We all live but seconds away from pain and death, yet we live as though it wasn't even possible.
We are but one person amongst 6 billion, yet we live as though we, personally, matter.
So, as you were saying... how real did you want me to get?
