Crystal – A Ruby-esque programing language
Crystal Clear
© Lead Image © Lukas Gojda, 123RF.com
Crystal is an open source project that seeks to combine the best of two worlds: the simplicity of a language syntax similar to Ruby and the speed and capabilities of the LLVM platform.
In the fall of 2012, Argentinian Ary Borenszweig implemented his Crystal project [1] as a "programming language for people and computers." This sentence probably best expresses what this language sets out to combine: the simplicity and elegance of a Ruby-esque language syntax with the efficiency and speed benefits of compiled languages such as C.
The driving force behind the development of Crystal in recent years has been the Argentine software consulting company Manas [2], which is where Borenszweig works. As of this writing, some 100 volunteers are pushing forward with the project on GitHub [3]. You can look up all of the language's functions in a GitBook [4]. Newcomers can take their first steps without installing anything by entering code into a simple web-based Crystal editor and compiler [5].
Benchmark
The script in Figure 1 runs the Ruby code from Listing 1 as a simple benchmark. It includes a loop containing a multiplication. From the time measured at the start and end of the program, a simple subtraction gives you the execution time. Ruby 1.9.3 takes around six seconds, or around four seconds for JRuby. On the website [5], the same script takes only around 0.3 seconds (Figure 2).
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
US / Canada
UK / Australia
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Linux Mint 22.2 Beta Available for Testing
Some interesting new additions and improvements are coming to Linux Mint. Check out the Linux Mint 22.2 Beta to give it a test run.
-
Debian 13.0 Officially Released
After two years of development, the latest iteration of Debian is now available with plenty of under-the-hood improvements.
-
Upcoming Changes for MXLinux
MXLinux 25 has plenty in store to please all types of users.
-
A New Linux AI Assistant in Town
Newelle, a Linux AI assistant, works with different LLMs and includes document parsing and profiles.
-
Linux Kernel 6.16 Released with Minor Fixes
The latest Linux kernel doesn't really include any big-ticket features, just a lot of lines of code.
-
EU Sovereign Tech Fund Gains Traction
OpenForum Europe recently released a report regarding a sovereign tech fund with backing from several significant entities.
-
FreeBSD Promises a Full Desktop Installer
FreeBSD has lacked an option to include a full desktop environment during installation.
-
Linux Hits an Important Milestone
If you pay attention to the news in the Linux-sphere, you've probably heard that the open source operating system recently crashed through a ceiling no one thought possible.
-
Plasma Bigscreen Returns
A developer discovered that the Plasma Bigscreen feature had been sitting untouched, so he decided to do something about it.
-
CachyOS Now Lets Users Choose Their Shell
Imagine getting the opportunity to select which shell you want during the installation of your favorite Linux distribution. That's now a thing.