The handwriting was around the wall: Microsoft was leaning absent from supporting the IronRuby language.It turns out which was true. And ditto with its complement, IronPython.IronRuby and IronPython, until November one,
Office 2010 Standard, are Microsoft-supported and .Net-targeted variations of the Ruby and Python dynamic programming languages. Right after November one, they are going to belong towards the local community and won;t be Microsoft properties any more.To get a even though,
Microsoft Office Standard 2010, it looked as if Microsoft was moving full-steam-ahead with dynamic languages. Adding the Dynamic Language Runtime towards the Frequent Language Runtime created the Redmondians seem even much more committed. Earlier this summer,
Windows 7 32 Bit, Microsoft created IronRuby and IronPython out there below the Apache two open-source license. About the identical time, Microsoft released edition 1.1 of IronRuby and an alpha of IronPython two.seven.But there had been indicators complications had been afoot. There was talk Microsoft might be convinced to maneuver IronRuby towards the CodePlex Basis (now recognized since the Outercurve Foundation) or to release it to the community in some way. Microsoft officials would not speak about their options for the languages.On October 21, the long term became apparent. Microsoft mentioned it can be donating each IronRuby and IronPython towards the open supply community. Microsoft just isn't killing off its assistance for your Dynamic Language Runtime, but; that will continue to be component of the .Net Framework, as it can be presently, officials stated nowadays.(”Donating towards the community” is what Microsoft did with Visual FoxPro and the .Net Micro Framework, as properly, as Microsoft watchers may very well 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, Visual Studio:“As component of these changes I’m happy to announce new project leaders external to Microsoft who will take over the projects and provide leadership heading forward. The IronPython project will have Miguel de Icaza,
Office 2007 Enterprise, Michael Foord,
Office 2007 Pro Plus, 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 on the Iron projects since their inception and I have nothing but trust and respect for your new stewards of these community projects.”Any IronRuby and/or IronPython developers available? 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 with the finely polished UI in Microsoft Office. Extra than anything, I will always value the chance that I had to work with and learn valuable lessons from some truly great people.“As I leave Microsoft, I;m incredibly excited to get likely to 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 Supply code and communities, 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. In spite of this, making that happen at Microsoft always felt like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole - which can be done but only at major cost to both the peg and the hole.”