[mavu]

Counterpoint: why should I care if it "takes off"? It is a very much stable, fast, useful language that can be used today.

[webkike]

You get more and better libraries if the language is popular. Your favorite APIs (such as AWS for example) implement clients in the language

[biql]

I wonder if the lack of libraries in a new language is just a few ChatGPT-integrations away. After all, Crystal is so similar to Ruby. I bet as soon as context/environment aware ChatGPT tools/agents that can compile / run tests / apply fixes until it works are available, this will become the reality: "Create this Ruby library but for Crystal" and in a few hours you can include it in your Crystal project.

[webkike]

I would personally never use a chatgpt transliterated library

[notmypenguin]

The FFI wrapper for c libraries is great, and one can use imagemagick and pngquant and such via an IO buffer wrapping a call to a command.

Crystal works great TODAY and will blow Ruby out of the water on performance. I simply can’t justify RoR in 2023 given Crystal

[Koshkin]

More, of course. But better? Percentage-wise, unlikely.

[webkike]

Maybe not if you consider good as a threshold, but the quality of good libraries will improve with a larger pool of skilled contributors

[ARandomerDude]

The more people use it, the more jobs there will be for it, and the more the ecosystem will flourish.

[lgreiv]

While it may be possible to onboard Ruby developers fairly easy, it is still easier to find talent for an „established“ language. For my personal projects, I gladly use Crystal, but in my professional role as a technical decision maker I need to factor aspects like this in.