[MacRuby-devel] Advice for Total Tyro

[Igor Evsukov]

Hi Bryan,

All Cocoa API's are written in C/Objective-C and even now, when we can write apps in Ruby You still need to now them at least to be able to read documentation.  

> Does Xcode treat Ruby as family, or is it a stepchild toiling in the ashes?  Are there other tools I'll need?
No. Xcode has only basic support for MacRuby development. (it sucks for Objective-C development too, but this is whole different story)

> What's Apple's attitude toward Ruby applications?
Nobody knows for sure. MacRuby ships as Lion's private framework and some it system are written in MacRuby. So, I think, when MacRuby will be mature enough it will become one of the official ways to write Mac/iOS apps.

> Can Ruby take advantage of the (finally!) modern memory management features released with iOS 5?
No. Garbage Collection and Automatic Reference Counting are two very different things. And it's impossible to make Ruby to use ARC.

> Basically, "If you were me, what would you do, and what order might you do it in?"
If You need to start develop Mac app tomorrow – stick with Objective-C. Otherwise - learn ObjC a little bit and then try to develop apps with MacRuby.


Best,
Igor

Sent from my iPad2

On Oct 16, 2011, at 3:12 AM, Bryan Harrison <bryan at bryanharrison.com> wrote:

> Older & Wisers:
> 
> Having done enough web development, network design, and systems administration for one lifetime, I've decided this winter is a fine time to leave all that behind and become an applications developer.  Wanting to make consumer products and having no interest in Windows, most of the territory ahead is obvious.
> 
> But still, I'd appreciate some advice from those who're already there, particularly with regard to MacRuby.
> 
> Specifically, has development for OS X and iOS reached the point where it would be reasonable to pursue Ruby before or even instead of Objective-C?  I've modest C background, am OOP-familiar, am not versed in Cocoa, and am only marginally familiar with Ruby.  Obviously I'd like to get up to speed as soon as possible, but I'm not under any pressure and expecting this will be the next 5-10 years of my life, would rather be good than quick.  
> 
> Objective-C is not without a certain homely charm, but Ruby is obviously the more modern language.  So…
> 
> Does Xcode treat Ruby as family, or is it a stepchild toiling in the ashes?  Are there other tools I'll need?
> 
> What's Apple's attitude toward Ruby applications?
> 
> Can Ruby take advantage of the (finally!) modern memory management features released with iOS 5?
> 
> Will I end up have having learn Objective-C regardless?
> 
> Basically, "If you were me, what would you do, and what order might you do it in?"
> 
> Thanks,
> Bryan
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> MacRuby-devel at lists.macosforge.org
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