I have been staring at Ruby for so long that I have become disgusted with low level languages like C or C++. Mid level languages like Java still make me cringe when I look at them. As I sit and write code in Ruby that runs on a terribly slow VM I begin to think.
Why don’t high level languages like Ruby or Python compile into assembly level code like C does when it is compiled?
I know compilers and interpreters are difficult to design and program. Someone, somewhere, has to feel the pain that I do when looking at C, Java, C#, etc… and not wonder why a high level syntax wont compile into low level assembly code.
I wrote a Scheme interpreter in Java for my Programming Languages class. That was probably the most eye opening experience that I have really had in development. Not simply because Lisp like languages are terribly simple, but that an interpreter can run the code at a decent speed (minus garbage collection).
Now I am not saying, take Ruby and make it into assembly level code. No, that is not my point. Ruby is a VERY dynamic language that can hinder speed. Nay, what I am saying is that we can have a static typed language that has a very verbose and simple syntax that can be fun and beneficial to all.