Re: what is the problem?

[Avi Bryant <address@hidden>]

On Mon, 17 Dec 2001, Michael Vanier wrote:
> What surprises me is how
> many Ruby aficionados haven't tried python; the two languages are extremely
> similar.  Ruby has more syntax and a more Smalltalky object system, but
> other than that there isn't any compelling difference AFAICT.

You mentioned "more Smalltalky" (real metaclasses, all types are classes,
ubiquitous use of blocks, etc).
I would say that Ruby is also more Lispy: I find full closures, full
continuations, and the lack of expression/statement distinction to all be
compelling advantages over Python.  Although the influences of Smalltalk
are more obvious, Matz himself was a Lisp hacker, not a Smalltalk hacker,
before developing Ruby.

Which reminds me of (Jason Trenouth quoting) Keith Playford:

	Larry Wall never understood Lisp
	Guido Van Rossum once read a book on Lisp
	Yukihiro Matsumoto once read a book on Lisp and understood some of it

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