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Arguments for Ruby agains PHP ============================= Language itself --------------- PHP: * Static method inheritance is broken * Inconsistent * empty * isset * is_array * Goto?! * Makes it too easy to write testless, non-MVC, … code Ruby: * Much more compact * Blocks, metaprogramming, DSLs * Test frameworks, mocking/stubbing libraries Speed ----- Ruby is a bit slower than PHP, but not significantly so. Speed is improving with different Ruby interpreters (1.9.x, JRuby) so should not be an issue. Personal experience ------------------- I am an experienced PHP programmer and therefore I know the language quite well. I have more experience with Ruby than experience with PHP, so I am a better Ruby programmer than a PHP programmer. Bindings -------- PHP: * C bindings (eww) * SWIG (meh) Ruby: * C bindings (eww but less than php) * Java bindings (whee) * FFI (whee) * SWIG (meh) Libraries/packages/gems ----------------------- PHP: 544+231 all-time Ruby: 8,506 on RubyForce, 6,871 on gemcutter Bindings for FANN: in Ruby, outdated in PHP Bindings for LIBSVM: in Ruby, not available in PHP K-D tree lbirary: in Ruby, not available in PHP The quality of external libraries for Ruby is often much more high-quality than those for PHP. Popularity ---------- Ruby is a big programming language used by big companies as well. Apple, Alcatel-Lucent, Sun, … use Ruby. As part of dissertation ----------------------- A master dissertation consists partially of research, partially of implementation of a project that combines this research into a usable whole. Implementation without research is impossible, though; spending more time on research is never a bad thing. The main reason for using Ruby for this dissertation is development speed. Ruby is a good choice as far as development speed is considered, for the following reasons: * Personal experience with Ruby * Ruby is more terse than PHP and allows better abstractions * Availability of useful libraries not available in PHP References ---------- http://www.bitcetera.com/en/techblog/2009/04/07/10-reasons-why-php-is-still-better-than-ruby--/ http://books.google.com/books?id=SvTuCXEKBvkC&pg=PA37&lpg=PA37&dq=convincing+boss+use+ruby&source=bl&ots=SPgHll2ce-&sig=h7g75eXej0MFvzkGTNzeWiGJ9-0&hl=en&ei=7_LnSpOGId-gjAeNl7SnCA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CBkQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=convincing%20boss%20use%20ruby&f=false From Java To Ruby (should be applicabl to PHP as well, I guess)

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