So I am looking for more books to read, and I start by perusing the Pragmatic Programmer Bookshelf web site - they have been my one of my favorite publishing companies since last year and I have been a convert to many of their ideals. In fact, to expound on this aside, I have changed as a programmer since I read their first book The Pragmatic Programmer and even more so with the starter kit trilogy Pragmatic Version Control, Pragmatic Project Automation, and Pragmatic Unit Testing.
Getting back to my perusal of the Pragmatic Programmer Bookshelf web site, this Sunday, while looking through their catalog for new stuff to buy, what do I find… a book that, in concept, rubs me the wrong way. The title is From Java to Ruby: Things every manager should know and it is going to be released in or around this week. I have not read it yet, because it hasn't been released, so I am just commenting on the teaser description provided by the website.
The description for From Ruby to Java echoes a lot like programming language propaganda. The first part of it reads:
“As a development team, you want to be productive. You want to write flexible, maintainable web applications. You want to use Ruby and Rails.”
Wow! I didn't realize that I was so unproductive with Java. All those happy moments programming away and getting things done was just a facade. Thanks Ruby and Rails!
The next line is the definition of propaganda, in fact, the description is just flat out saying it:
“Bruce Tate's From Java to Ruby has the answers, and it expresses them in a language that'll help persuade managers and executives who've seen it all.”
Yikes! What is going on? Shades of Khrushchev. Managers and executives must be persuaded by the Ruby red manifesto to crush the troublesome and insipid Java with all of its freedoms, its red, white and blue logo, and its JCP capitalistic mindset.
I like Ruby and I like Java. Ruby is my new language of the year 2006 (according the Pragmatic Programmer, good programmers need to learn a new language once a year), and I am enjoying what Ruby has to offer. I especially like its callback functionality and mixins. There is a lot to Ruby that I wish was in Java, and there are some things that are in Ruby that I don't want to see in Java. So this post is nothing negative on Ruby, just on the tone of this new book and its implied purpose.
Ruby can stand on its own. It is a great language, and it can, as it has been doing, climb up on the popularity ladder without crushing skulls.
I will order this book so that I can experience its true meaning, but I am a bit guarded. I hope the book won't be a free-for-all Java bash manual. Instead, I hope that this book will highlight positives on both languages and analyze when it is appropriate to use one over the other.
Mon, 19 Jun 2006 02:50 AM GMT
This is his second book on the subject. Sadly he gives the impression that he is just trying to sell more books with the provocative titles.. And unlike you i will not order the book maybe just peek in Borders. Also again unlike you i dont like Ruby much, tried it shortly, foud it too 'dynamic', and slow for my taste.. Also Maybe i am too addicted to IDEA too..
Mon, 19 Jun 2006 03:55 AM GMT
I'm guessing there will be kayak anecdotes in this new book, and people will be ripped off for a few dollars for all these kayaking information that we don't really need. Bruce Tate writes to get money. He will do the same thing for the next big thing [tm]
Mon, 19 Jun 2006 03:42 PM GMT
Afaik Bruce's reasons to switching to Ruby were not very well explained ones, so I wouldn't consider him a guru so quickly. ./alex -- .w( the_mindstorm )p. --- (http://themindstorms.blogspot.com)
Mon, 2 Jul 2007 07:41 PM GMT
You might like groovy and grails.