Russ Olsen

Presentations

JRuby: The Best of Both Worlds?

The JVM is a high performance and reliable platform that is available just about everywhere. The only problem with it is that the J stands for Java: In order to get all of that good stuff, you need to write your programs in Java. Or perhaps not: JRuby is a full implementation of Ruby (it can run Rails) that is also an ordinary Java program (it comes in a jar file).

In this talk, Russ will not only take you through the basics of using JRuby but will also look at it from both perspectives: How is JRuby as a Ruby implementation? How is it as a Java application?

DSLs: Blurring the Lines Between Programs And Data

Domain specific languages have played a key role in Ruby's explosive growth. In fact, much of the vital infrastructure of the Ruby world, software like Rake and RSpec and, of course, Rails, is built around a DSL of one kind or another.

In this talk, Russ will look at when a DSL is appropriate and when you should stick to a more traditional approach. He will also discuss the different kinds of DSLs and will also present a number of practical techniques for making the leap from a well designed API to a real DSL. Along the way he will point out some of the technical holes that you can fall down while building your DSL.

Fluent In Ruby: Getting Beyond The Basics

One of the best things about learning Ruby is that it is such a familiar looking language. Solve some straightforward problem in Ruby and your code will probably be a bit more compact, but recognizably similar to what you would have written in Java or C#. Don't let this familiar facade fool you. Underneath Ruby's very mundane surface lurks a wickedly powerful and flexible language that lets you cope with hard problems in some very unexpected ways.

In this talk, Russ Olsen will look at the parts of the Ruby language that enable you to wage unconventional warfare on your coding challenges. In Ruby you can change classes on the fly, but why would you want to? Ruby has this method_missing thing but where and why would you use it? And what is the Ruby object model and what does it have to do with metaprogramming?

Doing Agile In A Hostile Environment

There are organizations that just don't understand agile. There are other organizations that think they understand it, but are in fact mistaken. And then there are the organizations that are just plain against it: They believe with all their hearts in ponderous processes, design by committee, and document heavy methodologies.

In this talk, Russ Olsen will outline the strategies that you can use kindle the first tiny spark of agile software development in just such a hostile environment.