tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12467669.post5178141439017920133..comments2023-04-29T07:23:25.825-04:00Comments on Jay Fields' Thoughts: Is being a niche language developer good for your career?Jayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14491442812573747680noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12467669.post-78612888150439058302007-12-11T11:22:00.000-05:002007-12-11T11:22:00.000-05:00Can't we all just get along? You realize, of cour...Can't we all just get along? You realize, of course, that ultimately this sort of discussion makes absolutely no sense to most of the users of your software. They don't care what it's written in, as long as it works. <BR/><BR/>I program in the red-headed stepchild of Web App languages, and have made a nice little business out of it. <BR/><BR/>I always get ridiculed when I speak its name, but the fact that it 1) works on anything that can run Java, 2) is simple to implement, 3) has a large developer community, 4) is what I have written my web app framework in (which works very well, thank you) are all ignored because it is not perceived as a 'real' language. <BR/><BR/>Tell that to my customers. They love what I sell them, it makes their lives easier and they can get a spectacular feature set in weeks what would take months if written "the right way". That is all they care about. <BR/><BR/>Now, would I like to learn some other tools and languages to broaden my capabilities? Sure, I'll get to that-- with all that spare time I have left over after all the projects I always seem to be working on.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16974275561623101120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12467669.post-50300255887967741142007-12-10T17:37:00.000-05:002007-12-10T17:37:00.000-05:00Regarding Oracle + Mac, I haven't worked with Orac...Regarding Oracle + Mac, I haven't worked with Oracle for over a year now, but next time I need to I will check out all the links. Thanks for the info.<BR/><BR/>Regarding why I would use Ruby, as Brian already stated, there were other reasons why it made sense. The deployment environment was Linux so there was no blocking issue that stopped us from using Ruby. Despite the Oracle hurdle it was still a right choice for the problem we solved.<BR/><BR/>Regarding getting work, it's quite easy to get contract work in niche languages; however, that's not the kind of work I'm looking for. There are also plenty of jobs that are better on average than the normal Java job, but as you get into the "great" jobs, there are simply way more to choose from when selecting a mainstream language.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12467669.post-70043525094808677632007-12-10T15:35:00.000-05:002007-12-10T15:35:00.000-05:00Niche languages do not all lack a rich set of patt...Niche languages do not all lack a rich set of patterns, solutions and paths. Old languages become niche languages, and retain a heritage from having been very widely used: COBOL, FORTRAN and PL/I come immediately to mind. Still in use today, yet in a niche.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12467669.post-64663051515008946252007-12-10T12:39:00.000-05:002007-12-10T12:39:00.000-05:00> As a result, Ruby programmers are seen as "hacke...> As a result, Ruby programmers are seen as "hackers, script kiddies, immature and uneducated."<BR/><BR/>I kind of like this. It means you don't have to play by their crap rules. If someone is bigoted enough not to offer you work because of this, you probably wouldn't have been happy working with them anyway.Philhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12517691336187602116noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12467669.post-20163184612436014862007-12-10T10:30:00.000-05:002007-12-10T10:30:00.000-05:00Interestingly enough, the job I have now which pri...Interestingly enough, the job I have now which primarily uses Ruby/Rails, hired me knowing I knew nothing of it. I was hired INTO the niche.<BR/><BR/>This type of 'painting into a corner' can also happen with frameworks, particularly in the JavaScript realm.<BR/><BR/>I preferred mootools, and still do, but the rest of the world seems to be stuck in a Prototype/jQuery world. Luckily the people I work with are open to new ideas, and frameworks.<BR/><BR/>There's no doubt that you shouldn't focus on just one language, you might not be an expert in every one that you learn, but at least you'll leave open some outs if you ever need them.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14676950530135765032noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12467669.post-88880244914190279602007-12-10T06:52:00.000-05:002007-12-10T06:52:00.000-05:00I use Textmate/Ruby/Oracle every day on my MacBook...I use Textmate/Ruby/Oracle every day on my MacBook Pro.<BR/><BR/>Simply split off a PPC-only binary of Ruby (as a previous commenter commented) and make sure everything else (Gems, etc) are universal binaries.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12467669.post-76368981413293302262007-12-10T03:50:00.000-05:002007-12-10T03:50:00.000-05:00Well,Why dont you solve your db access problems by...Well,<BR/><BR/>Why dont you solve your db access problems by going with JRuby. It solves your db access problem using jdbc and personally JRuby has come a long way and I consider it a viable platform for many applications today.<BR/><BR/>Greetz<BR/>LeoAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12467669.post-19671406049233916752007-12-10T03:25:00.000-05:002007-12-10T03:25:00.000-05:00I agree with you, even though working as a freelan...I agree with you, even though working as a freelancer or running your own company would allow you to work with your language of choice when a new client approches you to build a project. Most of the times, at least in my experience, they don't care too much about the language you use as long as the project is delivered on time and the app runs smoothly.<BR/>Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be much space for Ruby in enterprises, but hopefully things will change...Michelehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08981758653511866622noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12467669.post-61543805717247388422007-12-10T02:49:00.000-05:002007-12-10T02:49:00.000-05:00I'm not a niche language developer, but I primaril...I'm not a niche language developer, but I primarily focus on one PHP framework (CodeIgniter).<BR/><BR/>I've found it has led to an enormous rise in not only the number of clients but the quality of clients as well.<BR/><BR/>By establishing myself as a leader within this relatively small community, I pretty much get "first dibs" on any paying job that is presented to the community.Michael Waleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11948627126552078058noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12467669.post-7818266994180830672007-12-10T02:10:00.000-05:002007-12-10T02:10:00.000-05:00My experience is that it makes getting a job harde...My experience is that it makes getting a job harder, but makes the jobs you find more likely to be a fit.<BR/><BR/>Also, I can't believe there are that few people using Ruby in New York City. I've seen at least 15 postings that I'd seriously consider here in Portland, there's got to be an order of magnitude more in NYC.Justin Georgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00841137599327072247noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12467669.post-67335146662324641932007-12-10T02:09:00.000-05:002007-12-10T02:09:00.000-05:00I had a friend who said "I need a job." I replied...I had a friend who said "I need a job." I replied, "Why limit yourself, say 'I need an income'."<BR/><BR/>95% make 5% of the money, so own it.<BR/><BR/>Be 5% and make 95%.<BR/><BR/>Even if you're not creative, surely you have friends. Use your ideas. Have fun. Make money. Make a Difference.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12467669.post-45901101319505831532007-12-10T01:49:00.000-05:002007-12-10T01:49:00.000-05:00Anonymous: Just because a framework comes with per...Anonymous: Just because a framework comes with perfect support for one particular integration point doesn't make it the best tool for the job. A framework that comes with perfect support for every integration point may still not be the best tool for the job. Likewise, imperfect Oracle support hardly disqualifies Rails from that position.<BR/><BR/>The best tool for the job is the one that fits the needs of that project best. If your project circa 2005 requires that you integrate tightly with Oracle, and in particular that you require advanced features of Oracle, and if that integration is so important as to nullify the accessory benefits you gain simply from using Rails, then yes--Rails is no longer the best tool for the job. But we don't have enough information to make that judgment here.Brian Guthriehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03303316202034594348noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12467669.post-14204942495030115242007-12-09T23:48:00.000-05:002007-12-09T23:48:00.000-05:00I work primarily with Oracle on my Mac at work... ...I work primarily with Oracle on my Mac at work... try <A>http://www.aquafold.com/</A> (my preference) or <A>http://www.dbsolo.com/</A> .Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12467669.post-76999326932140770852007-12-09T23:29:00.000-05:002007-12-09T23:29:00.000-05:00Am I missing something?Why would you insist on usi...Am I missing something?<BR/><BR/>Why would you insist on using a language/platform that is not a good fit for the job?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12467669.post-27832754249642652792007-12-09T22:59:00.000-05:002007-12-09T22:59:00.000-05:00I am going to comment on Oracle like everyone else...I am going to comment on Oracle like everyone else. I see the problem being solved two ways, but coming to the logic of finding the right tool for the job. Either use JRuby as suggested or switch to another language that has Oracle support. You give no reason to why Ruby is solely used for all your projects. Just off the top of my head (and personal preference) Perl DBI.jt archiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06350612684840721907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12467669.post-76862677159630409782007-12-09T19:58:00.000-05:002007-12-09T19:58:00.000-05:00For accessing Oracle:http://sqlrelay.sourceforge.n...For accessing Oracle:<BR/>http://sqlrelay.sourceforge.net/<BR/><BR/>SQL Relay is ideal for:<BR/>[...]<BR/># accessing databases from unsupported platformsAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12467669.post-43059796792209922512007-12-09T17:08:00.000-05:002007-12-09T17:08:00.000-05:00You can also use Ruby in PowerPC emulation mode to...You can also use Ruby in PowerPC emulation mode to connect to Oracle database using Oracle Instant Client. See <A HREF="http://blog.rayapps.com/2007/08/27/how-to-setup-ruby-and-oracle-client-on-intel-mac/" REL="nofollow">this description</A>.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01566133338975663406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12467669.post-8393150967163158492007-12-09T12:36:00.000-05:002007-12-09T12:36:00.000-05:00Nice post.... You can always use JRuby to at least...Nice post.<BR/><BR/>... You can always use JRuby to at least connect to an Oracle database. =)Ola Binihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15793488672952593953noreply@blogger.com