[ABE.pm] Programming Project, maybe in Ruby

[Randy Kramer]

Sorry about posting to multiple lists, just wanted to catch a
reasonably wide local audience.

Is anyone interested in forming a group of some sort to work on a
programming project?

I have a specific project in mind, but don't want to talk much about
it pending assessment of interest and whether we might to consider
some form of licensing to make money on the initial sales of the
software.  (Barring that, I'd probably favor using the GPL, and maybe
collecting copyrights in one "legal entity" for possible multi
licensing.

The project might be described as modeled after askSam, but with the
things I've seen since I started my sojourn into Linux, I have quite a
few modifications in mind.

Since I want to learn Ruby, I have some idea of doing some of the
programming in Ruby.  On the other hand, iiuc, Ruby can use modules
from other languages (C, C++, Python, Perl ???) and I have no basic
objection to using existing modules rather than creating our own.  (In
fact, for an initial version, I prefer that -- for the longer term, I
dislike software bloat and would eventually like to write our own
modules (or trim existing modules) to minimize the bloat.)

(Likewise, eventually we may switch to a compiled vs. interpreted
language (if we find a need) -- I just think something interpreted may
allow us to more easily (and quickly) create a prototype.

The last time I used source control it was Microsoft's source safe.  I
need to learn CVS or something better (and other modern programming
tools) to make the project as "professional" as possible.  (The point
of this paragraph is that I need help learning how to use and setup
such tools.)

I've spent some time looking at Python recently and it looks decent. 
I've requested a Ruby book (the Dave Thomas one, 2nd edition) from a
library (BAPL).  I looked at Perl a few years ago.  I don't think I
ever want to try to program in Perl again.  Python looks usable, but
I've been told Ruby may be better, so I want to look at that.  (And,
if Ruby can handle modules from other languages, we don't necessarily
need to all sing off the same song sheet, at least with respect to
programming language.)

I'd see starting this project with a specification and a high level
design.  (I've started a very rough specification that I don't want to
share with anyone yet.)  I'm going through a copy of Code Complete (on
about chapter 3), and I'd like to follow that or something similar to
guide the development.

What would be helpful is to have both some knowledgable people who can
share their knowledge and people who are interested in learning to
program.  I don't have a place to meet or much else at this point in
time.

I don't necessarily need to start a new group -- if the abe-pm or
lvlug (or both) want to somehow take this on as a project, we can just
be a subgroup of those organizations.

regards,
Randy Kramer