The handwriting was on the wall: Microsoft was leaning away from supporting the IronRuby language.It turns out which was accurate. And ditto with its complement, IronPython.IronRuby and IronPython, till November one, are Microsoft-supported and .Net-targeted variations of the Ruby and Python dynamic programming languages. Following November 1, they will belong to the local community and won;t be Microsoft properties any longer.For a though, it looked as if Microsoft was shifting full-steam-ahead with dynamic languages. Incorporating the Dynamic Language Runtime to the Prevalent Language Runtime produced the Redmondians appear even additional committed. Previously this summer, Microsoft made IronRuby and IronPython available under the Apache two open-source license. Around the very same time, Microsoft released version one.one of IronRuby and an alpha of IronPython 2.seven.But there were indicators difficulties were afoot. There was speak Microsoft may be convinced to maneuver IronRuby towards the CodePlex Basis (now recognized since the Outercurve Basis) or to release it to the neighborhood in some way. Microsoft officials would not talk about their ideas for that languages.On October 21, the future grew to become crystal clear. Microsoft stated it is donating each IronRuby and IronPython to the open supply local community. Microsoft is not killing off its assistance for that Dynamic Language Runtime, yet; that may carry on to be part with the .Net Framework, as it's currently, officials mentioned currently.(”Donating towards the community” is what Microsoft did with Visual FoxPro and the .Net Micro Framework, as effectively, as Microsoft watchers could possibly 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 going forward. The IronPython project will have Miguel de Icaza, Michael Foord, Jeff Hardy,
Office 2007 Product Key, 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 that 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 be 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 Source code and communities, and I believe that the future 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 could be done but only at major cost to both the peg and the hole.”