Ruby.NET: a Ruby compiler for the common language infrastructure

ABSTRACT

The implementation of statically typed programming languages on the .NET Common Language Infrastructure (CLI) is by now well understood (Gough 2002). However, the situation with dynamic languages is not so clear. Typically such languages have objects that are dynamically typed, while the CLI is statically typed at the instruction code level. Nevertheless there is a growing body of evidence suggesting that the CLI can be a suitable target for such languages (Hugunin 2006). In order to better understand the issues involved we set out to create a full implementation of the Ruby language on the CLI. This paper describes the challenges faced and design decisions made in creating Ruby.NET -- a Ruby compiler for the CLI.

REFERENCES

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INDEX TERMS

Keywords:
.NET and compilers, CLI, Ruby, dynamic languages