What to use Python or Ruby for?

[kleptos]

I am thinking about learning more about python or ruby other then using it for a calculator. What do people use it for? All the examples i have seen are printing things to the console or adding and subrtracting. I havent seen a really good tutorial about making things that are worthwile to make. I guess i dont understand the best uses for a scripting language like ruby or python. I am sure there are things to write and use, just havent found any. :confused:

[ow50]

What do people use it for?
Here's a list of apps written in Python with a GTK GUI
http://www.pygtk.org/applications.html

[TheIdiotThatIsMe]

Here's a list of apps written in Python with a GTK GUI
http://www.pygtk.org/applications.html

Hey that's a pretty awesome list for Python :) Is there anything like that for Ruby? Also, do you know of any tutorials (for either Python or Ruby) that teach you how to design and implement a more complicated program like those?

[ow50]

Hey that's a pretty awesome list for Python :) Is there anything like that for Ruby? Also, do you know of any tutorials (for either Python or Ruby) that teach you how to design and implement a more complicated program like those?
(Un)fortunately I'm not familiar with Ruby. I do remember reading a couple tutorials on model/view/controller and undo/redo matters, but I don't have those links anymore. You can google, but It's quite hard to find actually useful tutorials on application design. I'd argue that the best way to learn is by looking at other apps' source code. In case you're doing some multidocument undo/redo-capable editor, I can give some advice on what apps' source code to read.

[Keffin]

Hey that's a pretty awesome list for Python :) Is there anything like that for Ruby? Also, do you know of any tutorials (for either Python or Ruby) that teach you how to design and implement a more complicated program like those?

http://rubyforge.org/ is like sourceforge but just for ruby programs. "Hosted Projects: 1,164". Click the "Project Tree" tab to browse by catagory. As far as more interesting tutorials go, check out the pygame site (http://www.pygame.org/wiki/tutorials) for python. I haven't seen any ruby tutorials that get really involved, but http://poignantguide.net/ruby/ is entertaining at least.

[capi]

I think it's more of a Mac thing, but http://rubyonrails.com/ is very important. It's a framework for building web apps, been quite popular for a while. Check out Why's guide on the RoR site... though if your in a rush for time you might not want to read it(lot of useless -- but funny -- tributaries in it).

Another important feature is rapid-prototyping. Python tends to be better, since it has more libraries(though, ruby is constantly getting more). Other than that shell scripting would be a common. Although some people do crazy things with the langauges as well....

http://unununium.org/introduction

[asimon]

Hey that's a pretty awesome list for Python :) Is there anything like that for Ruby? Also, do you know of any tutorials (for either Python or Ruby) that teach you how to design and implement a more complicated program like those?

No application list, but RealWorldRuby (http://www.rubygarden.org/ruby?RealWorldRuby) show you that Ruby is used for a lot of different things.

A link to the poginant guide to ruby was already posted. The 1st Ed. of Programming Ruby - The Pragmatic Programmer's Guide (http://www.rubycentral.com/book/) is freely available. But it's a little bit outdated. The 2nd Ed. is not free but a great book for learning Ruby (I am currently reading it and like it very much). The number of non-japanese books on Ruby is still very limited but several new books will appear this year. Ruby is getting a lot of momentum currently.

Another great resource for Ruby is the Ruby-Talk mailing list (http://www.ruby-lang.org/en/20020104.html), also accessible through news:comp.lang.ruby. The crowd there is very very friendly and helpful.

Regarding web development with Ruby on Rails look here (http://www.rubyonrails.org/screencasts) for some nice videos.

[majikstreet]

Ummm... there's tons of stuff to do.. Just requires an idea first, which my un-creative mind can't produce...

Anyway, I find it easier to look around for interesting projects and join.. I was browsing this forum one day and saw the thread for Specto.. and now I'm a specto developer.. so yeah.

majikstreet