The handwriting was about the wall: Microsoft was leaning absent from supporting the IronRuby language.It turns out that was true. And ditto with its complement, IronPython.IronRuby and IronPython,
Office 2007 Standard Key, till November one, are Microsoft-supported and .Net-targeted variations of the Ruby and Python dynamic programming languages. Right after November one, they'll belong to the community and won;t be Microsoft properties any longer.To get a whilst, it looked as if Microsoft was moving full-steam-ahead with dynamic languages. Including the Dynamic Language Runtime towards the Popular Language Runtime made the Redmondians seem even more committed. Previously this summer time, Microsoft created IronRuby and IronPython out there below the Apache two open-source license. About the identical time, Microsoft released edition 1.one of IronRuby and an alpha of IronPython two.7.But there were indicators difficulties had been afoot. There was speak Microsoft might be convinced to maneuver IronRuby to the CodePlex Basis (now known as the Outercurve Foundation) or to release it towards the community in some way. Microsoft officials wouldn't talk about their ideas for your languages.On October 21, the long term grew to become clear. Microsoft mentioned it is donating both IronRuby and IronPython to the open source neighborhood. Microsoft isn't killing off its assistance for that Dynamic Language Runtime, even so; that may keep on to get component of the .Net Framework, as it's currently,
Office Professional 2010 Key, officials said currently.(”Donating towards the community” is what Microsoft did with Visual FoxPro and the .Net Micro Framework, as nicely, as Microsoft watchers can recall.)Microsoft isn;t simply casting off these languages, officials insisted. And, indeed, it does look like there;s been some forethought as to what to do to make sure they don;t simply whither. According to a blog post by Jason Zander, Corporate Vice President,
Windows 7 Code, Visual Studio:“As part of these changes I’m happy to announce new project leaders external to Microsoft who will take over the projects and provide leadership going forward. The IronPython project will have Miguel de Icaza,
Windows 7 Enterprise, Michael Foord, Jeff Hardy, and Jimmy Schementi as Coordinators. Miguel de Icaza and Jimmy Schementi will be the Coordinators of IronRuby. All of these guys have worked with or around the Iron projects since their inception and I have nothing but trust and respect for your new stewards of these local community projects.”Any IronRuby and/or IronPython developers around? What;s your take?Update: Jim Hugunin, the creator of IronPython, has just announced he is leaving Microsoft for Google. He says Microsoft;s decision to discontinue its assistance of IronPython was “a catalyst but not the cause” for his decision. Some good stuff from Hugunin;s eloquent goodbye post:“I will suffer some pain when I have to write code in Java now that I;ve learned to love the elegance of C#. I will suffer some frustrations when I have to use Google Docs instead of the finely polished UI in Microsoft Office. Far more than anything, I will always value the chance that I had to work with and learn valuable lessons from some definitely great people.“As I leave Microsoft, I;m incredibly excited to get gonna work for Google. I like to build projects with small talented teams working on quick cycles driven by iterative feedback from users. I like to have a healthy relationship with Open Source code and communities,
Microsoft Office 2010 Pro, and I believe that the long term lies in the cloud and the web. These things are all possible to do at Microsoft and IronPython is a testament to that. However, making that happen at Microsoft always felt like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole - which is usually done but only at major cost to each the peg and the hole.”