Alas, it seems I've missed my chance to discuss one of my favorite things: Ruby. If you're a latecomer to this submission like myself, here are three things to keep in mind as you read the replies:
- Many remarks concern the difficulty of understanding "unless" for those with a first language other than English. It may be interesting to note that Ruby was created in Japan, and that "unless" has been in the language since the very first release. [1]
- Matz has a very interesting and famous quote about the principle of least surprise: "it means the principle of least surprise after you learn Ruby very well." [2]
- Computers don't care how programs are structured. Businesses don't care how systems are architected. The canvas does not care how paint is applied. Software engineering is an art. [3]
- Many remarks concern the difficulty of understanding "unless" for those with a first language other than English. It may be interesting to note that Ruby was created in Japan, and that "unless" has been in the language since the very first release. [1]
- Matz has a very interesting and famous quote about the principle of least surprise: "it means the principle of least surprise after you learn Ruby very well." [2]
- Computers don't care how programs are structured. Businesses don't care how systems are architected. The canvas does not care how paint is applied. Software engineering is an art. [3]
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1. You can verify this yourself - check `parse.y`: https://web.archive.org/web/20071109044522/http://eigenclass...
2. The rest of the quote is also wonderful: https://www.artima.com/articles/the-philosophy-of-ruby#part4
3. The article that contains this line has fundamentally altered how I view our profession: https://www.neversaw.us/2022/01/30/the-canvas-cares-not/