Perl/Python/Ruby common backend (Parrot, can Ruby play too?)

[Phil Tomson]

In article <72X97.12093$9i1.972452 at e420r-atl1.usenetserver.com>,
Brian Marick  <marick at visibleworkings.com> wrote:
>Eric Raymond is proposing using Perl's backend for Python. Discussion here:
>
>http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-dev/2001-July/016406.html
>
>At 11:57 AM 8/1/01 , Phil Tomson wrote:
>>There is a thread about using .NET's CLR as a backend for Ruby, but how 
>>about using Perl6's backend? (as an Open Source alternative to .NET's 
>>CLR)

It seems to me that if there is any kind of 'official' collaboration 
between the Perl and Python worlds that the Ruby community needs to 
try to have some sort of 'official' representation in these meetings.  
Since, as ESR says in the 
link above, the Perl6 backend is 'not yet set in stone' this also offers 
the Ruby community some opportunity to offer suggestions as well.  And 
many of the benefits for Python which ESR mentions also work for Ruby.

I suspect that if the Perl people are willing to make their backend work 
with Python, that getting it to work with Ruby wouldn't be too difficult.

In the new spirit of language cooperation I'm posting this to 
comp.lang.python too (I'm not sure which Perl newsgroup to post to, I 
think this sort of discussion would get lost in comp.lang.perl.misc)- so 
how can Ruby get in on the Parrot action?  (hint, hint :-)

Is there any sort of forum (comp.lang.parrot? - well, parrot isn't 
strictly a language ) where all three groups can discuss ideas? 

Questions for the Ruby community to ponder: What sorts of features do we 
need that might be unique to Ruby?  [One that comes to mind: the ability 
to extend an existing class.]  For the 
most part, I think our needs are very 
similar to Python's.

Phil